


Darkness Falls

by StellaScully1984 (queenofharts1984)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bondage...light torture..., Camera Girl Rey, Dark Romance, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Demons/Black Magic/Ties to the Darkside, Dominant Kylo Ren, Eventual Kylo redemption, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, I'll probably think of more tags later., It will get bloody!!!!, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, M/M, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Protective Kylo Ren, Rey isn't a Damsel in Distress, Soulmate Bond, This story walks a thin line on consensual, Vampire Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2020-11-08 13:36:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20836358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofharts1984/pseuds/StellaScully1984
Summary: Rey Sky thinks landing a six month gig as a camera girl for PBS documentary was the best luck a first year tech could get. She's being paid to travel to vacation spots and film castles that have Fairy-Tales woven into their histories. Everything is going great, until the very last location;The Castle of the Night, located in Treefurg, Scandinavia. It's beautiful, but from the start something feels off. It doesn't help a vampire has supposedly lived in it 400 years ago.Still it's a job, and not one she can afford to quit. Rey on the last day of filming meets the eccentric owner, Kylo Ren. The more she learns about him, the more she wonders if this will be the last job she'll ever work.(This is a revision of the first "Darkness Fall". You will find the theme the same, but the story changed. The first was heavy non/con and I've decided to delete it. There will be areas that bleed grey, but it will steer clear of the darkest chapters of my earlier novel.)





	1. Moonlight

“For fuck sake, can you fix that camera any slower.”  
  
Rey looked up, finding the director of the set coming over to her. Her fingers deep within the bowels of the camera stopped, and the wire her fingers had been searching for slipped from her reach.  
  
“Shit.” She said more to the camera than to her boss who had finally made the march and looked on the verge of a stroke or heart attack.  
  
“Miss Rey Sky, you seem to think I’m made of money and have all the time in the world to wait for you to finish a simple task. I need this camera in operation so I can finish up this documentary and get the fuck back to Toronto and my wife.”  
  
Girlfriend is more like it, Rey thought, watching the man grab his cap off his head and whack it on his legs with force as he looked around in exasperation. A balding little man who had the misfortune of being a redhead. When his temper flared he became a blotchy mess of color that matched his roots.  
  
“A wire’s loose sir, please just one more minute.” Her voice dropped low, demurely. She hated the trick, but her director was a good ol’ boy and a submissive pretty woman always threw water on his temper.  
  
The other film crew members had all stopped what they were doing and watched to see which way his temper went. He put his hat back on and gave a huff before turning away from her.  
  
“Did I say the rest of you guys had a coffee break? Am I the only one who wants to get out of this drafty fucking castle? Get me my scene shot and let me get the fuck to bed. Come on.” He clapped his hands.  
  
Jojo in lights shot her a ‘hurry the fuck up’ look. Rey sighed and tried to find the wire again. It didn’t help that the equipment was from the seventies and probably been last used on the set of Alien. Jojo wasn’t mad at her, it was the castle. It was putting everyone on edge.  
  
The staff of thirty had flown to five epic castles with estates located on backdrops that made each shoot feel like a vacation. Oh sure a few had bloody histories, revolutions, deposed nobles, and dungeons for the tourist to walk through and feel the slightest shiver of fear. Notably, Paris and London's locations had hired a few burly locals to play masked executioners, who asked tourist if they’d like to meet Madame La Guillotine.  
  
Flying to Treefurg, Scandinavia to film their last project, the crew had found the formidable fortress well maintained despite no traffic of tourist or even government support. “Nattens Borg” The Castle of Night, held no cheap thrills. “Morket falder, hvor lyset skal” “Darkness falls where light should shine.” The locals warning. A castle with only two owners and four hundred years to separate them.  
  
The outside was built during the 1700s by a Danish Prince, who’d wished to impress a young wife. The Renaissance was reaching its peak and the castle’s design showed deep influences from both Italian and German architectural advancement.  
  
The inside was magnificent. Built to capture the magnitude of human achievement, it spared no expense. Wide french style windows to let in light, butterfly arches to expand the ceilings and a floor that had its marble shipped from Rome.  
  
Tragedy struck and the queen took ill, a sickness laid waste to the town. This was where fact and fiction begin to intertwine. The story went, the king in desperation sold his soul to the devil to save his wife’s life. As deals with the devil go, there’s always a catch. To save the light of his life, the king would become a servant of darkness. But the devil hadn’t told the King all of the curse, which made the happiness of the queen’s return to health short-lived.  
  
The king returned to find the queen standing by her bedroom window, her beauty radiant, the promise kept. She was holding a rose that had been left for her when she’d awoken from her fever. As the king moved to embrace her, the queen pricked her finger on the thorns of the rose. The king became mad with the smell of it and when he finally came to his senses, the queen lay dead in his arms. In grief, he waited for dawn, and let the light destroy both their bodies.  
  
Superstition and a great ghost story had been Rey’s first thoughts when she’d heard the tale.  
  
The first day of filming had made her feel the tick of unease. Tempers started to rise, fights broke out among crew members, and everyone worst nature came out. On top of that, there was a palpable feeling of being a trespasser once she crossed the threshold. ‘I feel like the wrong side of a magnet’ she’d told Jojo last night after they’d wrapped up a shoot. “Don’t you feel like the walls are trying to push you out?.  
  
Two minutes later the camera was running. Jojo started the lights, John and Horatio walked with the mikes for sound. The moon was almost full and they were trying to get a dramatic ghostly hallway for an ending credit scene.  
  
“Mr.Reynolds, MR.REYNOLDS”  
  
The voice was one she’d never heard before. They all froze. The amplified sound made the voice ricochet off the walls creating a sense of misdirection of where it was coming from.  
  
“Mr. Reynolds.”  
  
The hallway where they’d set up the smoke machine to illuminate suddenly had a dark figure walking towards them. Rey swallowed hard and couldn’t help grab the camera as she would a security blanket. The man’s shadow elongated freakishly across the mist, making her think of a nightmarish version of Peter Pan’s shadow.  
  
The director’s seated behind Rey, squeaked a “Yes”, reminding Rey of a toy in a pet store with a bladder inside. Glancing over her shoulder she found the toy did not only squeak but looked like it was still being squeezed. The whites of Reynolds’ eyes bulged bright and his thin lips were sucked in as he tried to sputter a stronger response.  
  
When her eyes turned to focus on the man coming towards them, not even a second later, he’d already been standing in front of the camera.  
  
To her credit, she didn’t shriek or make a sound to rival her boss’s’. Her only outward response was a ‘Hello’ which sounded more annoyed than fearful.  
  
A tower of a man stood looking at her. Dark hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his skin shown ivory in the bright light. The clothes he wore were new. A suit tailored and expensive. He looked every bit of a socialite who’d been on his way to dinner.  
  
But those eyes... black, she’d never seen such irises before. They took in the light but gave none back. He was handsome, but in a way that wasn’t that starched fake glow Hollywood tried to pass off as natural beauty. No, this stranger held the same dark temptation that would make you bite the forbidden apple, make you wonder if it was black velvet or poison when you kissed his lips.  
  
Her Geology teacher in high school had explained that before lightning strikes the charge is so powerful it would move up your skin, and make every hair stand on end. ‘A final warning’, the teacher said before the bolt struck. She thought of his words now. Thought of them as every hair on her neck stood up.  
  
The dark stranger stepped towards her.  
  
The Panavision 70 Ultra was a camera that weighed close to 100 lbs. It operated on a tripod that was hard to move. If Rey would’ve had more than a millisecond to think about it, the rational part of her brain would’ve stopped her fingers from gripping the base and attempting to shove it into his chest with enough force to break his sternum.  
  
The stranger didn’t flinch, in fact when the machine hit his body with a soft thunk, the only person that felt pain was her. His only reaction was to steady the camera from toppling to the side (and ending its final days) after she’d let go from the rebound pain that snapped up her arm like a piano wire.  
  
“Ms. Sky” The director's voice horrified.  
  
The mysterious man did not seem bothered by her actions. He looked down at the camera and studied it, his eyes flickered to her and for a split second, she read his humor in her poor defense.  
  
“Sorry, Mr. Kylo Ren.” The director walked next to Rey and scowled. “Rey is our new camera girl, she’s usually better behaved.” He patted her shoulder and Rey saw the stranger’s eyes narrow slightly. “What can I do for you?”  
  
The man looked at her director as if he was an insect on the ground, one that he was contemplating crushing. “I specifically asked that no one ventures in the west chamber of my home.”  
  
“Yes, yes...no one…” The director stuttered.  
  
“I don’t partake in cannabis, Mr. Reynolds. I believe those two men holding mics over there have gone where I have forbidden even my servants to venture.”  
  
John and Horatio looked both guilty and slightly sick at the same time. Rey knew the no drug policy they’d signed, this could get them fired. Not that half the crew wouldn’t test positive if they wanted to be fair about it.  
  
“Shit, you two fuckers are lucky it’s the last day of filming.” The director yelled, regaining his composure and his authority.  
  
Kylo, what an odd name. Rey thought, watching him move towards the two men. His footsteps clicking ever so slightly on the polished floor. The click resonated like the sound of a jailer’s keys on the last walk to the condemned man’s cell.  
  
“Do you know what I do to people who break my rules?”  
  
If John, the oldest crew member on their set, had ever been blessed with a light bulb between his ears, it had burnt out somewhere between the dope of the seventies and the weed he’d settled on in his last decade or two of life.  
  
“No can’t say that I do.” John pulled out a hanky and wiped his nose. Rey suspected the coke habit of his younger years had left him with a nasal drip that never went away.  
  
“Do you have a dungeon you're going to put me in? I’d like to see that.” John added and then gave the handkerchief a loud blow before putting it away.  
  
“John,” Kylo said pleasantly, patting the man’s arm. “So you shall.”  
  
Rey didn’t understand why no one heard the threat. Everyone started laughing. The director took his hat off for the hundredth time and made a show of wiping his brow.  
  
“Shit, John I’d let him take you down there just to be done with your sorry ass.” Reynolds gave Kylo another apologetic look. “Mr. Ren, we’re almost done with the shoot and we’ll be out of your home. It’s almost Halloween, you know, I bet you light the castle up.” Reynolds said looking around.  
  
“No, I don’t celebrate...”  
  
“Rey, didn’t you say this would be a great place for a costume party?” John interrupted. Suddenly, the attention was on her. He flashed her a wide grin. “Come on girlie, you and Rose were saying how it reminded you of-”  
  
“Yes, thank you, John.” Rey’s cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment. What she wanted to add was, ‘how come you can hear a conversation that happened in a whisper between friends, but you can’t hear me yell to get the mic out of the shot.’  
  
“Then we shall have one.” Kylo’s spoke to the group, but his eyes never left her.  
  
“Mr. Ren, all of us have flights for the day after tomorrow.” The director declined, knowing that it’d make no sense to be here longer than requested.  
  
“Mr. Reynolds, this P-B-S,” Kylo said the letters and it was clear they made no sense to him. “Will be the first and last movie production to capture the inside of my home. I cannot grant you an interview, but I can allow you to film the queen’s garden.”  
  
“That’s generous…” The director started.  
  
“My lawyers manage my affairs through the First Order Law Firm. You have their card. A very obnoxious fellow that owns this Broadcasting system has begged for years to be allowed even a glimpse of my home. You’ll find his pocketbook more than open for the extra two days to pay the staff.”  
  
“That may be, but the expense for changed flights…”  
  
“As for your flights, give my lawyers your staff members names. First-class flight tickets will be provided for.”  
  
“Mr. Ren that’s expensive,” Reynolds said.  
  
“Tell me, when you buy coffee do you ask for an invoice?”  
  
“No, that’s silly, it’s just a cup of coffee.”  
  
“Then rest assured, paying for first-class tickets is the equivalent in my bank account as your morning espresso.”  
  
This shut her boss up, Kylo moved on. “My servants will open up rooms. What fun is a castle if you can’t sleep in it?”  
  
The staff’s excitement at first-class and now this generated a soft buzz of whispers.  
  
“Well, I’ll be more than happy to do all this if…” He gave a long pregnant pause and waited till there was complete silence. “If Ms. Rey Sky says yes to attending the Halloween party.”  
  
Suddenly everyone in the room was looking at her. The color in her cheeks flushed and it took only one sweep to see that everyone including the director expected her to say yes. She looked at Kylo who smiled, having trapped her so easily.  
  
When she didn’t answer Reynolds cleared his throat loudly. “Ms. Sky, the extra day would give me time to write your letter of recommendation.”  
  
You miserable sack of shit, she thought, trying her best to keep her expression neutral as she glanced at Reynolds. There wasn’t a choice. Julia Roberts could pick her roles, but first-year camera girls were lucky to get solid work that paid bills. Petty, though it was Rey acted as if she was seriously mulling it over, if only to make Reynolds squirm a little.  
  
Kylo’s obnoxious expression showed it did not affect him. Fine, there were other ways to wound. “Mr. Ren I’d be delighted to attend your little party.” ‘Pausing on the word ‘little’ to look at his crotch and lookup. He was not amused. She didn’t care.  
  
The director clapped his hands and shoved an arm in the air giving a twirl of his finger for them to start up again.  
  
Kylo strolled towards her, stopping far enough away to honor her personal space, and yet when he looked at her, she felt it didn’t matter.  
  
“Did you enjoy that?”  
  
“Mr. Ren-”  
  
“Kylo”  
  
“You probably don’t hear this often, but I’m not going to be that girl.”  
  
“That girl.” He looked her over with an expression she couldn’t read and then took a step back. “No, you will never be that girl.”  
  
“Thank you for under-”  
  
The image of their bodies pressed together flashed like a movie projector in her mind. His arms like cables caging her small frame in, her teeth tearing at his skin until she drew blood, his mouth tasting every inch of her body, her legs wrapping around his back, him pressing hard against the heat between her legs…”  
  
s-standing” she spat out.  
  
Kylo smiled, a seductive twist of his lips that followed into the depths of his eyes. His expression had such arrogant satisfaction, she absurdly wondered if he’d orchestrated the whole fantasy.  
  
Kylo’s smile turned into a smirk.  
  
He must have seen something on my face, she thought. Rey put a hand on her hip giving him a once over. Here’s a thought you can read, You’re a cheap thrill in an expensive suit. His smirk faded, and his eyes flashed a warning.  
  
Brushing off the look with a defiant ‘Go fuck yourself glare’ her hands moved to fix the only monster in the room, her camera. The motion of throwing it against Kylo had pushed the focus lens back inside the protective rim. Inspecting it she found it was thankfully still intact.  
  
Eye in the camera, her fingers moved to focus the room. Corinne was adding more dry ice to get the fog to roll down the hallway thicker. If she could get the right angle, the moon would do the rest of the work.  
  
A shadow eclipsed the lens. “I don’t have time for Scandinavian pick-up lines.” She huffed, not looking up.  
  
“What will you be?” He asked. His eye was suddenly enlarged as he peered at her through the lens.  
  
“Jesus Christ”  
  
“Wrong kingdom. Wrong Prince.”  
  
“Wow, okay... do you have an ouija board to get back to?”  
  
“Amusing little creature, tread carefully my humor has ended.”  
  
Rey gave the camera a tap. “No shit. Okay, I can’t tell you to get lost as this is your home, but I need to get back to work.”  
  
“Very well. I’ll amuse this game a little longer.” His smile flashed like a wolf as he stepped away.  
  
“I’ll see what’s in the costume trunk.” She said absently.  
  
Kylo stepped away but seemed to have no intention of leaving. She gave a huff and refocused the camera on the hallway. The fog machine was whirling, making a clicking noise that sounded like the fan was going out. Just one more minute, she prayed.  
  
As if hearing her prayer, great billows of clouds begin to roll out. The light from the moon seemed to pick that moment to catch a radiant glow on top of the mist and the effect was breathtaking. The film rolled, catching it all in a perfect two-minute shot.  
  
“Wonderful! And that’s a wrap” Reynolds yelled, clapping his hands.  
  
Everyone started packing up. The cover for the camera was supposed to be on the floor behind her. She did a full circle looking for it.  
  
“Here.”  
  
Kylo stepped forward, the heavy protective cloth in his hand. She was too tired and happy to let him spoil it. Taking it she mouthed thank you. He stepped closer watching her as she moved it carefully over the expensive machine.  
  
“You would look lovely as a deer or a rabbit.” Kylo’s said picking up the camera before she could attempt it and putting it on the equipment cart.  
  
“Sorry, I don’t think we have any bunny porn outfits.” She said rolling her eyes.  
  
“You mistake my intention.” He moved close to her and she could tell he was making an effort not to touch her body. The large hands that had lifted the camera like it was a feather clasped behind his back and she saw the biceps underneath his suit become taught with effort as he leaned closer, his breath on her skin.  
  
“If I wanted a porn star I’d fuck that girl with the dyed blond hair and fake nails.” The description matching Jojo who was rolling up a cord on the floor.  
  
“Right, you want me to believe you’re not attracted to her?”  
  
“Her body is as enticing as a corpse, and smells as sweet.”  
  
“And mine?” Rey said it with a laugh, meaning it as a joke, but Kylo’s eyes darkened and he looked her over.  
  
Still not touching her, his face tilted close as if to kiss her. Black velvet or poison she wondered again. He watched her response and ghosted her lips with his own before whispering.  
  
“It is the warmth of first spring from a long winter, the smell of rain before the shower and the taste of honey from the purest hive.”  
  
“That’s, the nicest thing…” Rey cleared her throat. “You know if you start like that you might find girls don’t run for the hills or throw cameras at you.”  
  
“I expect, you’ll do much more. Or did you not understand why I want such costumes.”  
  
“Why else would you want me to be a bunny?”  
  
“Rey, I want you to pick something that runs.”


	2. Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be the limit of non-con sex between the two

“Are you sure he said that?” Rose asked.  
  
Her best friend was trying to shove one more dress into a suitcase that was already bulging at the seams. A small fair-skinned woman barely twenty-one with short-cropped black hair that haloed a heart-shaped face. As small as Rose was, a strict exercise routine had kept her toned. The muscles flexed on her arms as she used her body weight as torque to bring the lid down on top of a mountain of clothes underneath.  
  
“Come on, so close!” With an irritated puff, Rose pushed an elbow down hard on the top, while her free hand attempted to make the zipper budge.  
  
“God, recycle that ugly thing already. You’ve had it since high school” Rey called from the bathroom they shared. She could see Rose clearly as the bathroom lacked the privacy of a door.  
  
“It’s not ugly it’s vintage. Maybe I shouldn’t have bought so many outfits, but hell when am I going to shop in places like London, Scotland, and Paris again? Why didn’t you buy anything?”  
  
“This is my second job. I’m barely making enough to pay my cell phone bill. Reynolds made sure to stress my lack of experience when picking my hourly wage.”

Rey said remembering that wonderful day. Reynolds also hinted that salary could be negotiable. Negotiable had rolled off his tongue with a sickening sweet lilt, and he’d winked, before his gaze had drifted down her body and back up. She’d signed the document right then and there, told him she’d take the experience and wanted to travel, and then under her signature wrote ‘non negotiable.’  
  
“He’s a cheap ass, but then again, PBS is funding this documentary, and you know how well they pay.”  
  
“Could have saved some money and skipped this castle.” Rey finished brushing her teeth and left the bathroom to help her friend.  
  
“Oh, everyone likes a good vampire story,” Rose said as Rey climbed on the bed to help.  
  
“I thought mermaids and unicorns were in.” Rey straddled the suitcase using her full weight to force it close.  
  
“Yeah if you’re ten. Vampires sell because everyone loves sex and violence.”  
  
“I like unicorns,” Rey added a knee, as Rose begin the slow process of making the zipper move.  
  
“Right, well Brad Pitt didn’t show up all long-haired sex on a stick looking like a Unicorn in that Anne Rice movie.”  
  
“Well, the locals didn’t get the message. You’d think they’d have a souvenir shop.” Rey looked out the window.  
  
Rose followed her gaze. The hotel, if it could be called that was in the middle of the town. It was an old school that had been converted into a hospital, hotel, and mailroom. They’d been lucky to get one of the five rooms, and the other crew members had been set up with cots in the gym.  
  
“This place is so…” Rose paused from tugging the zipper.  
  
“Horror movie creepy?”  
  
“Quiet.”  
  
Rey felt a shiver move up the back of her spine like a spider at Rose’s word. It was unnaturally quiet here. No sounds of cars in the street or people talking. No, it’s more that, Rey thought It wasn’t just the sound of civilization that was missing, it was nature sounds as well.  
  
“Have you seen any wildlife? Haven’t even heard a bird chirp.”  
  
“No” Rose shook her head. “Kind of weird. But hey, I bet it’s a peaceful place to live.”  
  
That was Rose always seeing the glass half-filled.  
  
“Do you think the rooms in the castle will be modern? I don’t want to sleep on a bed that’s infested with mice.” Rose asked pulling harder as she hit a snag.  
  
“Might be...his clothes that night looked...you know James Bond expensive stuff…” Rey said through gritted teeth as she pushed harder to force the last bit close. “This thing is going... to spontaneously... combust on the way over.”  
  
“Not today!” Rose said standing up and giving Rey a high five.  
  
With a groan, Rey moved off the top of the suitcase and glowered at her friend.  
  
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. James Bond suit? Jojo said he was a ten, and she barely gives any boy a six.”  
  
“Hardly a ten, the guy looked like he needed a blood transfusion and his eyes. They were so dark. When he looked at me…”  
  
“Everyone’s pale here. Dark eyes, expensive suit, and a castle. I mean you could do worse.” Rose laughed and then stopped when she saw Rey’s face. “Okay it was a creepy line, but it sounded like he’s into you.”  
  
“Into me? Wear something that runs?”

Rose moved the suitcase off the bed and smirked. “Come on, this is Scandinavia. Did you see the women in this town? I mean a woman’s probably considered attractive here if she has all her teeth. Just saying.” Rose huffed trying to move the suitcase across the floor to the door. “He probably forgot how to flirt. He’s throwing a party for you at a freaking castle.”  
  
“One that I don’t want to go to.” Rey rolled off the bed and went back to the bathroom to fix her long auburn hair into a French braid. The lights flickered reminding Rey that power was a luxury Americans took for granted.  
  
“Well don’t ruin it for the rest of us. I’ve never flown first class before.” Rose peeked her head in and flashed Rey a smile in the reflective mirror. “You know sex in a castle should be on every girl's bucket list.”  
  
“Are you going to cross it off your list tonight?” Rey arched a brow at her friend in the mirror.

“Finn can’t officially be in my room. Stupid fucking contract. We’re not supposed to mingle like that, but you know. It’s a big castle.” Rose grabbed a hair tie for Rey off her wrist. “We might move in together, when we get back.” She said cautiously looking at Rey for a reaction.

Rey finished her hair and tied the bottom. “That’s great.” Clearing her throat she tried to mask the hurt. It wasn’t like her high school best friend wasn’t going to eventually meet someone and get serious. Rose and Finn had hit it off on the first day of filming, and by the second month had made the relationship official.

“I hear MGM is hiring.” Rey said changing topics. “Gone with the Wind remake, supposed to need a crazy amount of staff. Jojo said filming will be in Georgia and Kentucky.”

“Finn and me we’re talking about that.” Rose said, and missed seeing Rey bite her lip at another reveal she’d been left out of. “Finn’s pretty sure with his resume he can get on. He did design dresses for all the steampunk whores on that terrible Coyote Hill Netflix show.”

“They cancelled it, bad reviews.” Rey gave a wry smile. “I don’t think it helped Lindsay Lohan was lead.”

“Yeah, terrible casting choice, but the costumes did get recognized as being tasteful and innovating.”

“And now he’s making your costume. Let me guess something romantic?” Rey followed her friend back into the room, watching her pick up the suitcase again.

“We’re going as Romeo and Juliet. He’s repurposing the costumes we used from the London scene. Reynolds isn’t happy about it, but everyone’s been helping themselves to all the leftover clothing we used for the castle reenactments.” Rose hand was on the door now.  
  
“Oh, I heard him. Lost or damaged costumes will come out of your salary.” Rey puffed out her cheeks and looked angry as she pretended to be their boss.  
  
“You know...I asked Finn if he could find one that might work from your favorite movie…” Rose winked.  
  
“I’m going as a nun.” Rey’s voice was deadpanned.  
  
“Seriously?” Rose opened the door.  
  
“We used the nun outfit for the monastery blip when we were in Scotland”  
  
Rose’s nose wrinkled as she remembered. “We hired some grandma to wear that. She smelled like Bengay.”  
  
Rey couldn’t hide her big grin.  
  
“Well, that’s one way not to get hit on.”  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
Rose looked at her watch. “No cell phone reception at Lord Kylo Ren’s dig. Bus is downstairs to take all that want to go. Which is everyone, but you.” She paused. “Sure you don’t want to come?”  
  
The thought of sleeping under the same roof as Kylo had made spending the night at the castle a hard no, but she also didn’t want Rose to leave at that moment. The worry must have shown for Rose hesitated outside the door.  
  
“I could stay if you want.” Rose offered.  
  
“No.” Rey forced the sound of happiness into her voice. “I’ll make my appearance at the party tomorrow, and Kylo Ren will just have to find another girl to flirt with.”  
  
“He could show up as a priest.”  
  
“Well, then we’ll both have to keep our vow of celibacy.”  
  
“Just don’t wind up being the pregnant nun.”  
  
“Not a chance.” Rey laughed the sound was natural this time. “Now go, and don’t worry about me.”  
  
The door closed and Rey was left alone. It was two hours till nightfall. The town didn’t have much for entertainment, dining or activity. Of all the places she’d been this had been the strangest. Almost no children, the market had barely been more than an outdoor stall, and no one had been happy to see them.

What place doesn’t even have basic cable?” She grumbled looking at the spot where a TV had once hung, the brackets still on the wall.

The lights flickered again..  
  
In the closet, she had a backpack, and she rummaged through it, hoping she still had a few snack items left.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
Standing in the doorway was the hotel desk clerk holding what looked to be a picnic basket. A tall thin woman with dull hair and duller eyes. Her sallow skin reminded Rey of a candle beginning to melt.

“Delivery for you.” She didn’t hand it so much as push it into Rey’s arms.

“Wait, from who?”

The clerk either didn’t hear her or ignored her completely and headed down the alcove to a stairwell.

“Seriously?”

She shouted at the clerk. Nothing, not even a head turn.

“I’m going to Yelp this place one star next time I get wifi.” Rey slammed the door. Not that the woman knew what Yelp was, or the internet for that matter.  
.  
She set the basket down on the bedside table. It looked old, and if she hadn’t been wary would have found it beautiful. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the seams of it, and her stomach gave a loud grumble. One peek, she thought  
  
Opening it up she found a feast. The bread was a small round loaf with a flaky crust, there was fresh butter in a glass jar, jam, and honey. Also, what looked like sausage, soft cheese, and pickled onions. A dessert that looked like toffee and a tin of biscuits. A dark bottle that held wine and looked like it had come from someone's private collection. She lifted it and found a small envelope addressed to her underneath. REY was spelled out elegantly in a script that looked like it belonged on an opera program.  
  
You have refused the hospitality of my castle for the night. I can only reason that last night I have offended you. Please accept my apologies. Since you will not be dining with the crew, let me at least offer you dinner. Enjoy. I will see you shortly.  
  
K. Ren  
  
Rey huffed and threw the note back in the basket. Two more nights and she’d be on a plane back to Portland. Casanova was going to have to find himself a bucket of cold water.  
  
A goblet of silver had been provided with red teardrop gems in the base. Nothing weird about that, Rey thought, but poured herself a glass all the same.The wine was sweet. She made herself a small dinner of the offering. It was better than the snicker bar in her backpack, and she hated wasting good food.  
  
By the second glass, she felt herself yawning and her eyelids drooped. The wine had been stronger than she thought. She put the rest of it away and decided after undressing to stay in her bra and underwear. The thick feather down comforter was a small oven at night.  
  
Two minutes later she was sound asleep.  
  
  
______  
  
  
The window’s curtain had not been drawn and the moonlight gave her body an iridescent glow. He did not need it to see her, but it did create quite a lovely picture. He watched her for some time before looking around.  
  
He noticed the wine bottle next to the basket. “Thirsty, my pet?” It was half empty and he smiled. “You’re such a little thing to have drank so much. You will not wake in the morning, perhaps early afternoon if you’re lucky.”  
  
He went to the closet and looked inside. There wasn’t much to see but he noticed the costume right away. “The cloth? How dull. Though a church would keep you safe. Too bad we have no sacred ground here”  
  
Turning from the closet he went back to the sleeping woman. She didn’t flinch when his fingers moved a few errant hairs out her face. Her skin was warm against his cold fingertips. He felt the life radiate from her. He wanted it, wanted to feel her blood coursing through his body. It’s been too long since he’d found someone like her.  
  
Four hundred years had taught him control, safely being able to bend down to smell her skin without fear of instinct taking over. He’d taste, but not now. No, he’d enjoy other things.  
  
He moved the blanket aside and his eyes widened in surprise. “Did you know I was coming pet?” He murmured. A white bra and panties were all that covered her. His fingers traced the thin material, almost see-through. It was cheap but new.  
  
“Pale, little pet. Do you like the color or does it make you feel pure?” The nun outfit in the closet flashed in his mind and he laughed. “Not a virgin, but close enough.”  
  
With deft fingers he moved to unfasten her bra, he’d have torn it off, but she’d miss it and it might spook her into running.  
  
“You will run for me, but only when I’m ready to catch you.” He spoke softly, voice echoing slightly in the open space.  
  
They were lovely, he thought, looking at her breasts. The nipples hardened right underneath his fingers. A small moan escaped her mouth and he stopped.  
  
“Does my pet like this?” He asked her, playing with her nipples a little rougher between his two fingers, “Such a naughty thing. You were supposed to spend the night at the castle, but you thought you could just avoid me, hm?”  
  
His head bent down, and he took one of the nipples in his mouth. He used his tongue to pleasure her further while he took in the proximity of them. It was intoxicating, the taste of her skin and the scent of her blood so close. A spring rose whose petals he’d crush so no other could enjoy it. His teeth begin to latch out and he had to stop.  
  
It was a loss of control he’d not experienced in a century. He looked at her in wonder. “What a puzzle you are?” He asked, curious about the effect she had on him.  
  
When he bent down again, he was better prepared. She moaned, and he smiled knowing that somewhere in the far reaches of her dreams she sensed him, knew he was there. His mouth made work of every inch of her. She was still asleep, but he wanted her to know, only slightly, so he lifted a bit of the veil to let her enjoy.  
  
Not enough to fight him, but he wanted to hear her.  
  
He indulged himself with her body. Left his hands to roam free, trailing over her stomach, watching as goosebumps appeared on her skin. His fingers pushed lower, tracing the small outline of something he knew he could take if he wanted. The slight pressure led her to writhe in her sleep, shuttering slightly.  
  
The cotton panties would need to go. He slowly moved them off her and found that she liked to keep herself bare. A low growl came from his throat and he moved her legs apart for better access.  
  
He moved his lips down, attaching them to her body. The first taste in a while, a euphoric feeling that he wouldn’t be able to shake. His mouth now found new nectar, one almost as good as lifeblood. He darted his tongue in and out, delving into the delicious part of her body that fueled his thirst for more. Her back arched and she pressed into him. He felt her body heat rise, felt her respond to his ministrations.

“Please…” She mumbled over and over.  
  
The shaking of her legs gave him a hint of how close she was and yet, he stopped, moved his mouth away, listening to the pounding of her heart as she calmed down. It was only moments before he started up again, slowly, letting his tongue explore. He couldn’t help but make her shutter, loved watching his pet moan under his touch. He couldn’t let her finish, no, not tonight.  
  
She didn’t deserve it, even if he wanted to. He took her to the edge twice. Holding her close, making her writhe on the bed for his pleasure. He was careful not to bruise her body with his mouth as he moved away from the apex of the thighs. Marking a soft trail from her navel to her neck.  
  
His pet was crying, soft tears rolling down her face. Her body was flushed hot, burning a bright red. The heartbeat was so fast, he could hear it as if it was beating outside her chest. She pressed up, blindly grabbing him, and he watched as she tried to move her pelvis against him.  
  
“Had you stayed in the castle, maybe I'd let you.” He said kissing her mouth. Enjoying the feel of her arms as she tried to scratch his skin. It was animalistic and he loved it. As if she could tear her relief from him.  
  
He was hard and he pressed against her. He thought for a minute of taking her that way, but he couldn’t. She’d feel that in the morning, and it’s better to have her wound tight, needing him. Oh, she’d fight the pull, but she’d drank his blood already in the wine. It acted almost like an aphrodisiac, it wasn’t enough to cause any change, but enough that she’d feel him, she’d want him. At his age, even a small amount mixed with wine was powerful enough for a temporary bond.  
  
He moved away from her, missing the burning heat of her body already. A moment later her clothes were back on. The cover fell over her, he tucked her in. He was about to push her into a deep sleep when it occurred to him, he needed to get her a costume.  
  
“What did you want to be, pet?” He whispered in her ear. He lifted the veil almost to the point of awareness and asked again. Her eyes fluttered and she moved her head back and forth.  
  
“No, not that tasteless nun. Who would you be on your last night of freedom?” He changed his voice, not allowing any disobedience.  
  
She thrashed harder, this surprised him. Normally his voice was never ignored. He tried again and found she was fighting the enchantment. She’d wake soon, but he had to know. He bit the tip of his finger until a black drop of blood came through the skin.  
  
Her lips were resting gently against each other as he smeared it on her lower lip. She instinctively licked and he watched as her thrashing ceased. Her chest rose in a steady motion and he knew she’d do anything he asked.  
  
Lucky for her all he wanted was an answer to which she gave without hesitation.  
  
He left her, short of one ugly nun outfit and moved back to his home. He was not ready to retire. Another person slept in a bed, but sadly this one would not be allowed peaceful slumber.  
  
John woke up screaming, and he did, in fact, get to see what the castle dungeons looked like.


	3. Strawberries

Light, too much light, Rey thought. Blurry eyed she put a hand up to shield the intrusion and tried to sit up.

The world became a ferris wheel as it moved up and over in a motion that wouldn’t stop till she shut her eyes tightly. “No more wine.” She mumbled out loud a pledge for only the walls to hear.

Slowly this time she opened her eyes and the ferris wheel came to a slow stop. Okay time to get off this ride and get out of bed...and...Oh fuck, she couldn’t have gotten that drunk.

Her fingers moved down between her legs and found to her relief and confusion that she’d not wet the bed, but had at some point in the night become aroused. It glistened on her thighs and when she stood up she felt an ache in her pelvis.

Like an itch something tickled at the back of her mind. A nocturnal orgasm? Yet when she tried to remember even a snippet of her dreams her mind brushed it all away like cobwebs in an attic.

The shower did not steam, instead it was lukewarm barely keeping her teeth from chattering as she scrubbed her skin raw, reducing the soap to slivers before turning the spray overhead off.

The cold bathroom floor made her grasp the towel tightly to her skin as she made her way back to the bedroom to dress.

However she was no longer alone.

“Christ on a cracker, you are alive.”

Rose’s cheeks were flushed red as if she’d been running. Seeing her friend in a towel the relief flashed in her eyes before she put both hands on her hips, taking in two deep breaths of air.

“Rose-”

“Don’t you Rose me. I just made a whole lot of noise to get here.”

“Shit did I miss the morning bus?”

“Morning bus, are you kidding. You didn’t even show up on the afternoon one. I just made some red headed guy named Hux drive the bus back here. Told him my father was a United States senator and I’d have the feds here if he didn’t take me.”

“Your dad’s a small town mayor in Alaska.”

“Possible dead best friend I lied a bit!”

“Okay, sheesh. What time is it?”

“Rey it’s four in the afternoon.”

“Not possible.”

“Did you get a sleeping pill from Cassie? Because it’s not over the counter like she claims. That’s some illegal stuff from Mexico and-”

“I drank two glasses of wine.”

This shut Rose up for a minute. She looked Rey over. “And did you drink this wine alone?”

Rey blushed, and figured she might as well show Rose the note.

She turned to look for the basket, but Rose was faster. “Not into him? Ha...and I suppose you bought wine and strawberries to eat alone.”

“No the basket just had…” Rey stopped. While she’d been in the shower someone had gone into her room and taken away everything. A silver platter now sat in its place, piled high with bright red strawberries.

“Alright, I forgive you. Spill sister. Did he come over after I left? Did he stay the night? Ohh...please tell me you drank that wine slowly. Remember that party after we graduated on the lake when you tried jello shots?.” Rose popped a strawberry in her mouth.

“Listen he didn-” Rey stopped when Rose begin a series of hard coughs, that delved into deep gags. “Rose, are you choking?” Was it arms above the rib cage, or below. Above was if they were pregnant...

Rose hand went up, stopping her from finding out if she really could save someone with the heimlich maneuver. “No…” She gagged and finally caught her breath. “The berry it’s rancid. God, I kept thinking of the time when I kissed Jordan in eighth grade and he had the flu and…”

“Enough...I’ll gag on that alone.” Rey looked at the fruit. It smelled divine. She picked one up. The color was perfect, she’d never seen fruit that didn’t have some imperfection.

“You could’ve warned me.” Rose gave her a look.

“Kylo didn’t come by, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

Rose sat on the bed that was made up, her arms crossed her legs crossed, hell she’d probably of crossed her eyes if she could. Rey sighed, she could hardly blame her friend. Wine, silver platter of strawberries, a guy throwing her a party.

Absently she took a bite of the strawberry, and stopped as her teeth tore into the flesh realizing what she’d done. Too late.

The flavor rocked her. It was sweet. No it was more than sweet. She bit in all the way. The juices exploded in her mouth. Fruit couldn’t taste that good. She finished it, and grabbed another. This one she didn’t bite in half, but popped the whole thing.

Pleasure, it danced on her tongue. Reminding her of when she’d first discovered her body. When her hands had moved to quiet and ache she’d not understood.

“Rose, it’s...try it. You must have gotten the bad egg.”

She took two this time. Warmth flooded her cheeks and neck. The memory of the first time a date had offered to go down on her, the feel of his silky hair as she ran her fingers through it. A decade older than her his tongue had made her understand the difference between boys and men.

Rose grabbed one sniffed and shook her head. “I don’t know why your shoveling them. A fish market on a July day smells better than this.”

Now Rey didn’t even try to be lady-like she tore at them smashing them to her lips and the dream that been at bay started coming into focus. Heat replaced warmth, and she wanted more. The heat started to burn, the pleasure turning into pain.

A flash snapped her out of it. She blinked hard and realized that Rose had taken a picture.

“Sorry, but you kind of look like a zombie…” Rose showed her the pic. “After eating brains...or strawberries in your case.”

Red was smeared all over her face, juices down her chin, on her chest. The towel white and stained, her hands curled into a claw-like gesture, making her look like she’d just devoured the heart of Snow White.

Rey’s fingers traced the empty silver platter, the flickers of danger sparked and replaced by a growing euphoria. “Pet” that word...that was her name. Wasn’t it?

Rey, I’m...Her brain became foggy.

Rey? Thick pea soup fog.

I’m..She couldn’t remember.

Pet, that sounded right.

The last sparks of Rey faded and when she looked at Rose she was Pet.

“Fucking John. He gave you some weed didn’t he? I bet he laced it, with some of that ketamine or LSD.” Rose looked her over as if this explained everything. “When I see him, I’m going to kick his ass.”

“No, I…”

Rose wasn’t listening she turned to the closet. “He was missing at breakfast too, but considering how strange you’re acting we’ll probably find him buck naked in the throne room.”

A smile spread on Rey’s lips, John wasn’t in any of the rooms. Kylo always kept his promises. She laughed. “He’s dead.”

Rose head snapped up. “Not funny. Come on get washed up. That stick up his ass downstairs probably already left. I doubt my threat is what moved him, seems when I said your name his tune changed. Probably remembered his boss had the hots for you.”

“He’s master’s lackey, he’ll wait for us. Master can’t come out yet.”

“Master?”

Rey giggled. “I’m his pet.”

“Scratch John. Those strawberries…” Rose looked worried.

Poor girl she doesn’t know yet, Rey moved next to her and kissed her cheek. Humming she went into the bathroom, dropping the towel. “The worms crawl in the worms crawl out…”

“I’m going to start helping you pack.” Rose called to her, and very quietly under her breath. “Finn will know what to do.”

The water from the sink was cold and it prickled her skin. Cold like John, she giggled. “They wrap you up in a big white sheet.”

“Where did you get this!” Rose’s voice broke her singing. The sound of fabric ruffling and feet on the carpet heading her way.

The dress was beautiful. It was designed exactly to match her favorite eighties movie, the dress of the only princess Rey had ever wanted to be. She grasped the fabric and tried to tear it away from Rose.

Rose didn’t let go. “Maybe we should see if there’s a doctor here who can give you a once over.” Rose said her smile tight and fake.

Rey wasn’t listening. Rose didn’t understand, he’d picked her. She tore it from Rose, willing to do more if her friend didn’t let go. The fabric moved over her naked body, it fit. Rose’s fingers clawed the fabric and Rey wasn’t sure if she was helping or trying to take it off. It didn’t matter the dress moved like a skin, shaping her body.

Rey felt pure joy, the fabric moved and she sung louder. “They put you in a big black box...”

“Stop singing. This isn’t right.”

Rose’s shrill voice first and then the fabric settled to show her friend turning a lovely shade of white. But oh she could go whiter. Everyone could go whiter.

Rey begin to spin her arms in the air. The dress soft as silk, and white as ivory. The fabric lifted, and the faster she went the more her body felt like it could float.

“Stop. Rey, Please. Stop I’m scared.”

A memory came then, a mouth pressing on her neck her breast. She wanted it, wanted it all.  
Kylo’s tongue tasting her making her beg, she was his pet, all she had to do was follow…

”He’ll cover you up with dirt and rocks…”

The slap rocked her back. The world this time didn’t spin so much as sink to the ground. She was on the tile, her friend shaking her. Fingers being shoved down her throat. It didn’t make sense. She tried to bite, but Rose had her knuckles in preventing her teeth from taking flesh.

“Throw them up. I’m not stopping till you puke every last one of them up.” She gagged hard, trying to move away. “No you fucking don’t.” Rose had her hair, the fingers pushed harder.

To her credit she made the toilet, heaving it all. Rose held her steady. It took a minute to realize her friend was crying. When it was done Rose slumped against the bathroom wall. “Rey, please tell me it’s you?”

The room seemed to focus, and her mind returned to her. She looked at Rose whose chest was heaving in deep breaths of air. Somehow her friend had just saved her life.

“Rose?..”

Her friends soft crying turned into sobs. Rey put her arms around the shaking form..

“Rose...I’m sorry. I don’t know…”

“Let’s get out of this town.” Rose’s voice was trembling. “That wasn’t normal Rey, that wasn’t LSD. You we’re spinning so fast…”

“The strawberries must have been drugged.”

“Drugged?” Rose laughed. “Why did they taste rancid to me and sweet to you?”

“I don’t…”

“You didn’t put that dress on it..” Rose’s voice sounded on the verge of hysteria. “It was alive Rey. It moved over you.”

“Rose, magic doesn’t exist.”

“Evil does. Okay. I don’t have time to wrap my brain around it. I wouldn’t even have believed what I saw with the dress, but when you were spinning.”

“What?”

“Rey, your feet were an inch above the floor. ”


	4. Escape

“It won’t come off.” Rey tried harder to rip the garment over her head.

Rose inspected the dress like it was a buzzing hornets’ nest. “I don’t have scissors here, but at the castle, I know Finn has quite a few pairs.”

“What if that doesn’t work?” Rey’s voice barely disguised the rising panic. The panels of silk and ribbon didn’t just cling to her body; no, that would’ve at least made her feel like it could be destroyed. Scared, oh yes. The beating of her heart knocked out a rhythm that danced in her ears. The truth pulsing between each beat as her fingers ran down her ribcage. The rise and fall of her chest were her doing, but it was the dress that seemed to breath.

As if knowing two people couldn’t be near panic, Rose’s expression remained calm. She fidgeted with a strand of her hair and finally spoke.

“It’s enchanted, but so is this town. I think...

“What?”

“If we can get far enough away. I bet the magic will lose its hold.”

While it was a wild hypothesis without any scientific backing, Rey’s gut instinct told her Rose’s assessment held water. Since they were delving into the impossible, like Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Rey decided to throw another theory into the ring. “Kylo. He’s not human. I know this is going to sound crazy.”

Rose put her hands on Rey’s shoulders. “Nothing sounds crazy right now.”

“What if the Danish king didn’t die? What if the castle has only had one owner?”

“A 400-year-old vampire?” Rose swallowed hard. “How do you fight that?”

“We’re safe as long as it’s light. If the sun sets, I don’t think we’ll have any way of stopping him.” Rey looked out the window. The sun was already starting its decent. “That gives us three hours.”

“Finn, the crew...” Rose paused. “Do you think we can save them?”

The thought that twenty-eight lives- well, twenty-seven, John was dead- were in their hands sobered her. Should she sacrifice herself and let the group flee? Would they flee? No one was going to believe them. In fact, with first-class tickets, a lavish party and a free night in a castle they’d probably turn on her.

“He might not kill them,” Rose started. “That would be a lot of American bodies, and people would investigate.”

“But he’ll kill some.” Rey knew, and in that eenie-meenie-miney-moe they couldn’t risk Finn being Moe.

“Alright, now we just have to deal with the driver downstairs.”

Hux was pacing outside the bus, his suit jacket off and draped over his arm. His bright copper hair reminded her of Archie Andrews, right down to the part in the middle. Rey watched him run his fingers through it. He reminded her of a nervous father at the doors of a labor room. He was expecting something.

The sound of her dress rustling made his face snap towards them. Cold blue eyes gave Rose a fleeting look before focusing on Rey. He didn’t look at her dress, or the cleavage spilling out of it, but caught her gaze and held it.

There was no question. He knew about the strawberries. Nervous butterflies erupted in her belly, beating their wings with frantic chaos. The smile on her face hurt, but underneath the flutters she felt the dark giggles start to bubble up. The pent-up fear, allowed an outlet she laughed and laughed loudly. Rose clutched her arm and gave her a nervous, darting stare.

“She ate something, or took something…” Rose paused, as if reconsidering her last sentence. “I mean, she doesn’t do drugs. I think she’s just sick.”

Hux stood aside, allowing them to slip into the bus. Rey blew him a kiss and winked before climbing in. Rose fumbled with her purse and tried to push a fifty into Hux’s hand. “Please don’t tell Reynolds or Kylo. I’d hate for her to get in trouble.”

Refusing the bribe, he managed a faux smile. His voice was almost kind. It reminded Rey of man selling snake oil who’d found a customer willing to bite. “Ms. Tico, no need. Tend to your friend. I’m sure in a few hours she’ll be herself, and if not, I hardly think anyone will remember in the morning.” The last words spoken almost to himself as he slipped into the driver’s seat.

The ride there was twenty minutes of pure hell. It also didn’t help she had to appear euphorically happy while simultaneously pretending to ignore the stone lump in her stomach.

Jojo had been standing outside in the courtyard smoking a Pall Mall in her right hand and holding her iPhone as the bus pulled in. She turned in circles, trying to get a signal, and hardly looked up when the bus pulled to a complete stop only inches away from her. Her face shone with bronze stage make-up and harsh charcoal lines around her eyelids that suggested she was trying to look Egyptian. Her curvy figure shimmered almost transparent under a white silk dress which looked suspiciously like lingerie.

Frustrated, she stamped her foot and took a long drag of her cig, thrusting the phone in her bra in defeat. When Rey stepped off the bus, Jojo had to blink twice to recognize her. “Oh my God!” Her lips opened so wide the cigarette hung oddly at the corner of her mouth. Recovering, she grabbed it and dangled it between her two fingers. A sly smile was spreading across her face. “That exotic pale white boy’s going to be putty in your hand.”

Hux stepped off the bus and gave a thin exaggerated cough, before glaring towards the end of Jojo’s smoke as if even the faintest whiff of her nicotine had irritated his senses. “There’s a designated smoking area,” he said pointedly.

Jojo dropped the butt on the ground and gave him the finger. Rey watched his jaw clench as she rubbed it out with a bejeweled silver flip flop.

His attention was diverted, and Rey needed to keep it that way. Giggling she sidled up to him, laying her head on his shoulder and watching as he stiffened in response. With the biggest doe eyes she possessed, she gazed at him and pasted on a goofy grin as if she were five. “Jojo loves gingers. I’ll help you out,” she whispered, as if it was a secret. (God she was hating this act)

“Jojo, Hux was just asking me if you were an Egyptian princess.”

Jojo’s smile widened and she looked at Hux as if he was a T-bone steak. “I’m Cleopatra.” She sauntered up to the redhead, her hips swaying. “Want to be Marc Anthony?”

Hux tried to beeline out of her way, but Jojo put her arms around his neck and gave him a smile meant to melt. His lips pulled down in disgust. “I’d rather play Julius and stab myself.”

Rose grabbed Rey’s hand and they fled. Hux called after her and swore when Cleopatra refused to let go.

They didn’t stop till they’d reached the East Wing, where guest rooms had been prepared. The shuttered hallway had no access to natural light. To keep the darkness at bay, single-tiered wrought iron chandeliers with white candles flickered above them. Rose pointed to the third door on the left.

“We ended shacking up together, no one seemed to care.” Rose said, her dark hair hid the left side of her face as she glanced over her shoulder, pausing as she grasped the door handle to give Rey a worried look.

They didn’t need to exchange words on what it meant if Finn wasn’t in the room. The detour had already put them on borrowed time. Two hours and some change hung like a pendulum over their heads.

The halls had been drafty, only a few degrees warmer than the outside, but when Rose opened the door, warm air hit Rey’s face. The spacious suite had a fireplace. A hearth had been stoked and the fire crackled loudly as it fed on fat logs. Another smaller wrought iron chandelier hung low, and illuminated the room, allowing them to see that Finn was sitting on a cushioned bench with his back towards them.

Rose’s love interest was a black man five years older than her. With broad shoulders and average height, he was neither ugly nor exceedingly handsome. Rey had found his eyes kind in a country boy kind of way, and his nature gentle.

Finn had fingers in his short black hair as he worked a gel in. Dressed in a peasant billowy white shirt and leather pants he looked like a modern-day Romeo.

“Fair Juliet, you are late. I needed to-”

Like a coke bottle that had been shaken, Rose’s relief at Finn’s presence pushed her over the edge. He barely had time to brace himself, before finding his girlfriend tucked under his chin, her fingers clutching at his shirt

“Shit honey, are you okay?”

“No.” Fresh tears broke out and Finn looked at Rey for explanation, his eyes wide.

Now for the fun part: trying to convince Finn to leave with them. You couldn’t exactly start out with ‘Vampire’ and expect to get further than a hand on your forehead asking if you felt well.

Rose drew Finn into a deep kiss. “Do you trust me?” She asked

“Rose, you know I do. What’s wrong?”

“Please, don’t ask that.” Rose pleaded. “Just come with us. We’ll take the equipment van. The boys always leave the keys in the glovebox, and if we leave right now, we’ll have a chance.”

“Leave? The party is going to start soon, and I don’t exactly want to be part of some coup and lose a good recommendation.”

Rey heard Finn’s protests, but her eyes strayed to the bedroom’s single window with its view of the Queen’s garden. The sun made the browns and spotted yellows leaves glow as it started to sink behind them.

“Rose isn’t lying. Kylo, he’s-” She rubbed her bare arms. “There’s something terrible coming, and we can’t be around when it shows up.”

Finn looked doubtful.

“Don’t you feel it?” Rose asked. “The wrongness? We all chalked it up to bad energy, bad karma, bad juju, but it’s evil, Finn.”

Finn gave Rose’s tear-stained face a considerate look, and then his shoulders sagged in defeat. “Where do you want to go? It’s two hours to the nearest town.”

“You believe me.” Rose hugged him tightly.

“I believe that you believe you’re in danger, and that’s enough,” Finn said, kissing Rose’s forehead.

He’ll marry her, Rey thought. If we make it out, he’ll date her for a year and then they’ll have a wedding with too many flowers, and I’ll have to wear pink because it’s Rose’s favorite color. She watched as he used his thumb to dry her best friend’s eyes.

“Well come on, then. The van’s parked down by the garden. We loaded the cameras after Reynolds shot the bonus scene. Wasn’t happy Rey was missing, but I think the other camera guy did okay. It ended up being kind of lame.”

Finn grabbed his leather jacket off the chair. “We couldn’t walk the maze at all because the lawyer was afraid one of us would get lost or find the underground crypt.”

“Crypt?” Rey asked.

“Apparently, it’s in the center of the maze.” He closed the door behind them. “Normally the royals are buried with all the rights. However, the Danish King, having joined Satan’s fan club, made himself unpopular with the Pope. He was excommunicated from rubbing elbows with other royal corpses.”

They’d reached the stairwell. Holding the fabric of her dress up, Rey felt like Cinderella trying to escape as she took the stairs as fast as possible. “Why did they choose the garden?”

“Not sure. The servants fled, the church buried them and treated the castle as if it was cursed.” Finn stopped at the bottom of the step and took Rose’s hand.

They moved quickly, five minutes of walking and Finn started to look uneasy. “That’s odd…” He muttered, but at Rose’s expression, he arranged his features into a smile. “This place has been a great workout. You know, I bet if we had an Apple watch and counted our steps, we’d be close to-” He stopped.

The staircase they’d just come down loomed in front of them.

“It’s not going to let us leave.” Rose whispered.

Finn’s brown eyes had lost the cool countenance of a man who was simply placating the fears of hysterical women. He kept silent as they tried again.

“The servants’ quarters and kitchen should be right here,” Finn said. They’d just passed the east wing’s massive staircase again, confirming they had made another circle.

Rose’s bottom lip trembled, and she rubbed her arms as if to warm herself, but Rey knew it was to keep the panic from taking over.

Finn’s hand rubbed the back of his neck as he scowled up at the staircase. He turned and looked up at one of the many paintings that adorned the castle walls. The oil on canvas captured the image of a young maid submerged half-way in a pond. The confusion in his expression turned to astonishment.

“What?” Rey asked.

Finn’s Adam’s apple bobbed down hard, and he took a step back. When Rose moved towards him, he grabbed her hand, and then, to Rey’s surprise, he grabbed hers as well.

“Let’s double back. We missed the kitchen somehow.” He pulled them backward, his hand holding hers tightly.

Rey wasn’t sure what Finn was doing. He was looking at the walls as if searching for something. When they came close to where the corridor turned sharply, he stopped. He released her hand, only to grasp her elbow. On his other side, he did the same with Rose.

She didn’t want to interrupt him, for she felt that somehow, he was figuring out a riddle, and if he could solve it, perhaps they might escape. Finn took two more steps. His grip turned vice-like, and in a sudden movement Finn jerked them all forward and to the left.

Rey blindly used her free hand to deflect what she assumed was going to be her body plowing into the wall. She’d shut her eyes bracing for impact and gritted her teeth.

“It’s okay…” Finn’s hand released her elbow, his tone apologetic.

Impossible, popped up in her brain, sounding like the calendar word of the day. They were in the alcove next to the kitchen, an older woman in a light blue dress holding a wicker basket full of white sheets looked up at them, before ambling past them towards the laundry room. She has dull eyes, like the office clerk, Rey thought.

“How did you…” Rey started, but Finn shook his head. Not now. They moved quickly through the kitchen. A work bench was by the door, and sitting atop the bench was a toolbox. A checkered rag was wrapped around the handle. She’d thought about searching through the kitchen drawers but decided to start with the toolbox first to find a weapon.

The metal clamps that kept it shut popped easily, and Rey saw the usual assortment of tools a carpenter would keep. Rummaging through it, Finn dutifully held the door open waiting for her.

‘I went down, down, down. And the flames went higher,’ Cash sang in her brain. Rummaging through the tools, wondering why she just didn’t close it up and start pulling kitchen drawers, her eyes spotted the icepick between the hammer and the screwdriver. The polished wooden handle smelled like lacquer, and when she held it up to look at the sharp pointed end, Cash finished singing. ’And it burns, burns burns. The ring of fire.’

Finn met her eyes, and he knew.

“Rey…” Finn whispered angling his body so Rose couldn’t see it. “We need to stay together.”

“It wants me.”

“You’re dressed like one of my nieces’ Barbies. Come on Rey, we’re not prepared to deal with this, let alone fight it.”

“What’s going on, guys?” Rose asked.

“It’s a long shot, okay. But if I find him before the sun sets…. If he’s sleeping in the crypts...”

Finn must have reached the vampire conclusion earlier or come to it quickly enough to not waste time validating it more with silly questions.

“You and Rose should go, let me find him.” Finn held out his hand for the weapon.

“Guys, what are you talking about?” Rose moved from outside the door and froze when she saw the icepick. “Hell to the fucking no. It’s 400 years old. You think it’s going to lay there and let you stab it?”

“She’s not, I am.” Finn started.

“You!” Rose pushed a finger in his chest. “You passed out at the blood drive in London, and it was me who was donating.”

“That’s not fair, it wasn’t the blood it was the need-”

“Shut up!” Rey yelled impatiently. “We can argue till the sun sets and Kylo steps in to ask our blood types before he picks us off one by one. Or we can look at the facts.” Rey took a deep breath. “Kylo hasn’t shown up, which means he can’t. If we’re lucky it also means he’s vulnerable.”

“So, what you’re going to be, Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Rose snorted.

“Yes, or at least try.”

Rose crossed her arms. “Come on. You’re not a killer.”

But Rey didn’t laugh, instead she thought about what Kylo would do to Finn and Rose when he woke. She remembered that somewhere in this castle, John’s corpse was already a feast for worms.

“I need you to go.” Rey said and moved outside, shutting the door behind her.

“I’m not leaving you.” Rose put her hands on her hips.

Finn’s eyes met Rey’s and he glanced at the icepick in her hand, but unlike Rose he’d reached another conclusion.

“Illusions. I don’t think we were lost, the castle just acted like a merry-go-round and maybe instead of being on the ride, we we’re the ones watching it spin around. It’s almost perfect, but if you look closely it will waver, just for a second, and show you the truth.”

“You’re a nice guy, Finn. Don’t hit the brakes, I don’t care what crosses your path. Even a nun with a puppy strapped to her chest, you run that bitch over.” She smiled. He hugged her.

“Coward!” Rose had tears in her eyes, and she shoved Finn away when he tried to walk towards her. “I’m not leaving my best friend.”

“Yes, you are. I’ve never cave-man carried a woman anywhere, but so help me, I will get you to that van and duct tape your beautiful legs to the seat.” Finn said.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Rose glared up at him, but he decided they’d talked enough. Grabbing her in one fluid motion, he attempted the caveman hold, but Rose squirmed in his grasp.

“Can you get the van’s back doors?” He asked Rey, wincing as Rose’s fist struck his back.

A minute later, Rose’s screams of protest were muffled. Finn held the two doors shut, while Rey had used cable wire wrapping the handles.

“She’ll forgive you.” Rey said and heard something heavy clonk on the inside of the door. “Eventually.”

“I’ll be back.” Finn said, hugging her fiercely, perhaps to not let her see the fear in his eyes.

The van backed up before pulling forward. She thought she heard Rose pleading, but the wind took the sound of it with them.


	5. Maze

The dry leaves crunched under her feet as she walked towards the iron gates, which weren’t in the typical style of the time period. Instead, each one jutted black and cold from the ground, a long line of spears with tips that promised to pierce your skin if you tried to climb over their impossible peaks. The castle felt like it was watching her leave; the sun no longer brought out the white of its walls, but instead deepened the growing shadows that showed its age. In the dying embers of the evening it appeared like a harlot who’d wiped off her make-up to show the haggard woman underneath.

The gate was heavy. Her arms ached and her palms burned from the exertion of opening it. It creaked indignantly and its hinges popped as if she were setting a bone that had slipped out of place. She turned left and followed the open path- it was clear enough at the start. The ground was level, but the tall, dead grass obscured the stepping stones that had once decorated the trail. Perhaps in another hundred years the elements would break them down, and they would become pebbles. Rey trod carefully, watching her step to avoid twisting an ankle on a broken fragment.

She had two hours, maybe less, to find the underground tomb. She imagined Buffy, with her crop top and jeans, holding a stake and saying, ‘Aim for the heart.’ Was that her plan? Find a tomb and aim for the heart of what was inside?

The worst part was the dead leaves. No matter how carefully she stepped, the ground beneath her crackled and popped like a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal. Dwarf Juniper trees had grown wild, their thick pine branches coating her fingers sticky with their sap when she pushed through them. Willow trees, whose seeds had been brought in by the wind ages ago, grew in haphazard locations. For a few hundred years, the garden had grown wild, taking its own shape, and only the barest traces of the maze were left for her to follow.

She was wearing practical shoes, a small blessing as the dress caught on everything. The fabric didn’t tear, but remained in pristine condition; not even the dust was allowed to linger long on it.

Miss America would kill for this gown- it probably doesn’t even get pit stains!

She was still laughing at the thought when her foot caught on a root, and she went head over heels into the grass.

Spitting out dirt, she assessed quickly she was fine, but when she buried her fingers in the long dead grass to push herself up, she felt something metal press against her right hand.

The broken piece of gate was almost brown with rust, but the end was still tipped with the original spike that had adorned the top of the iron bars that enclosed the garden. A suitable stake? Or was she just in danger of giving herself tetanus? The metal was the length of her arm and light enough to carry. Maybe something better would come up, but probably not. Her arsenal at present was an icepick and this. In her mind, Buffy arched an eyebrow and looked at her with pity.

She walked for some time and tried to look for the visual waver Finn had talked about so she could see the true landscape behind the glimmer in the air. The trees parted around a clearing, and she found herself face to face with a massive fountain. It was still standing, remarkably enough, the cupid on top intact except for one leg, broken off at the knee. Cupid held a jug of water that tipped down to spill its contents. Dead leaves were piled to the top of the basin.

A flash of bright yellow caught her eye, and when she glanced that way, she observed something moving within the cache of brittle leaves and twigs.

Don’t look, she thought. Just walk around it.

The fountain was a good sign; coming across it meant she wasn’t going in circles.

It’s old, who knows what might be in that bath. Mice, spiders...nothing good.

Buffy would have looked, but Buffy wasn’t dressed like the Homecoming Queen, holding weapons that were apt to get any B rated actress killed in a horror movie.

Twigs and leaves snapped as something bulged under the foliage.

Run, she told her legs.

A hollow sound echoed from the base of the fountain: a gurgle of voices with no clear words. The leaves began to shift, and a shape started to take form. Whatever was under the leaves blended under the yellows and browns. It moved slowly and the voices became a hum, a raspy, coily sound, and she knew before it lifted its head and peered at her with red globed eyes what it was.

A python with a head as big as her hand poked out. Its mouth curved into a smile as a black tongue flickered out tasting the wind. The snake’s body kept moving, the leaves sliding off and slipping under it like it was in a blender on the lowest setting. It began to rise, and Rey knew it had scented her.

The red eyes looked like large marbles, the kind a child would play with. Its head moved slowly and she wondered fearfully how much intelligence it possessed.

The cold weather should make it sluggish, and my size should dissuade it from hunting me, she tried to remind herself.

The tongue flickered again, and she heard a whisper of voices gurgle in its throat. When she took a deep breath, its head snapped her way.

It’s the light, Rey thought, and knew the thought was a lie even as she wished it to be true.

The eyes had lost their pale pinkness, and now seemed to glow like fireflies caught in a glass jar. No, this was not a pet snake let free to grow in a backyard; this was a sentinel set to guard a treasure- or a sleeping host.

Slowly it began its descent out of the fountain, unfurling like a dragon from a cave. The magnitude of its massive body was not evident until it was took its freedom.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Pick something that runs, she heard Kylo whisper.

That’s what her legs told her to do, that’s what the flood of adrenaline in her body demanded she do. She’d probably make it. Above her the sky patched like a quilt as the sun sank.

Run, little rabbit.

She saw his dark smile and knew if she started running, it wouldn’t be the snake that would catch her. The hours she’d been given had dwindled to minutes.

Carefully she took the iron rod and let the tip rest on the ground in front of her. The snake’s head snapped her way.

I can do this, she thought. Here, kitty kitty…

She scraped the ground. The snake moved slowly, eyes fixed on the metal rod. Its tongue flickered again, and she froze; its head tilted up and rose slightly.

It doesn’t see you, not yet.

The grass bent under its heavy body as it came less than twenty yards from her. With slow, deliberate movements, she twirled the rod in her palm. The snake opened its mouth freakishly wide, and the hum became amplified, making her wonder if its victims were the echos that she heard. The body, as long as two grown men, was fully uncoiled from the marble bath. The head was yellow, but the body was mottled brown. It integrated so well with the earth that Rey knew that, had she run, it would’ve blended into the garden like a chameleon.

“Okay, kitty,” she whispered, “now it's time to give you the mouse.”

With a flick of her wrist, she threw the bar, and the snake struck with lightning speed, wrapping its head and body around the metal before it even hit the ground. Fooled, but not for long, it opened its mouth and let out a hiss that vibrated the ground.

Pure adrenaline pumped her legs, making her an explosion of movement. The serpent sensed her. She had the ice pick, and threw her body on the base of its neck. Its muscles arched underneath her legs.

Now, her brain screamed. Before it gets on top of you.

She aimed for the snake’s skull, but the snake twisted and deflected her thrust. Instead the pick sunk deep piercing the creature’s neck. Her dress pooled around her like a parachute, and now the snake’s size helped it pin her down. Not a kill hit. Her heart knocked in her chest. The creature twitched, trying to free itself from the icepick and her. Blood slicked her hand, making her grip on the handle precarious. If she let go, it would be over.

Yanking it out she aimed for the head, but the snake had time now and its body whipped around to take her legs out from under her. She hit the back of her head, and the snake’s body begin to curl around her. Her fingers clutched the bloody weapon, and she twisted, trying to get the most use out of every precious second. The python started the death squeeze.

With a scream, she brought the sharp end down for one last killing strike. It hit the snake behind the skull and drove in.

The muscles tightened, driving the breath from her body and taking all the air from her lungs. It would break bones in a second, and death would follow fast. Blots spotted her vision, and she wondered if her eyes would look like marbles when it was done.

The snake twitched, and then relaxed and went still.

It took her a second to comprehend its death spasm for what it was, so sure she was of her own demise. Its body was heavy, and it took effort to disentangle the reptilian ropes around her. Bruises would no doubt cover her body tomorrow.

The snake’s rose-colored eyes stayed open. It seemed to look at her, mouth open as if not comprehending that the fight was over.

Grasping the icepick, she wrenched it from the dead reptile, then turned to survey her surroundings

Look, Rey, look. Don’t see the hedges, don’t focus on the trees.

Breathing deep, she studied the landscape around her.

What doesn’t belong?

Juniper shrubs and two footpaths. One from the direction she’d come from, and the other leading her deeper into the maze. No, it wouldn’t be that easy. The juniper trees swayed in the wind, the low shrubs shuddering as the breeze swirled through them. Then her eyes rested on the anomaly. It was a space the size of a door where the branches didn’t move the way they should.

Rey felt a stirring. It walked up her spine like fingers and tugged at her scalp.

He’s waking, she thought.

A live wire seemed to connect them now, the power box being turned on one switch at a time, and pretty soon the connection would crackle at full power. What would she do when that happened? She shivered, and somewhere in the tendrils of their telepathic connection, Kylo’s consciousness begin to take form.

Her stomach was in knots by the time she reached the juniper tree. Reaching a hand through the pines, she felt her fingers slice through something that felt like warm butter, thick and clotted against her skin. The disjointed picture of her appendages suddenly sinking into blackness made her snap her arm back with fear. Wiggling her fingers, she found them returned perfectly to her.

Stepping though in one quick motion, Rey felt the world drop out from underneath her feet. She’d never been on an elevator that had descended several flights in one dramatic plunge, but she imagined it would feel something like this. She screamed, or thought she had. When her eyes opened, she found herself on even ground on the other side.

And there it was.

The crypt reminded her of a Russian bomb shelter. The staircase sank into the ground. She gripped the icepick so hard, she felt it cutting into her skin. There was almost no light now, and she hadn’t thought to bring a flashlight. Fear, like a suitor at a dance, asked if her card was full.

May I have this turn? he asked politely.

I killed a python, she thought. I just killed a fucking four-hundred-pound snake, and now I’m going to kill a four-hundred-year-old vampire. Why yes, her dance card was full.

Thirteen steps down. She expected a door but found none;just a narrow archway with a stone raven to eternally guard it. Blackness pooled on the other side, making her wish there had been a door, if only to hide the abyss.

The flesh of her skin rose, and the electric current that had hummed beneath it sparked so suddenly that she grasped the sides of her head to still the pulse that beat between her eyes.

Kylo was awake.

He reached for her, and try as she might to block his probing, he found her. Kylo’s dumbfounded shock, flooded her senses, almost making her feel like the surprise was her own.

“You cannot be here,” he hissed, the voice loud enough that she turned, half-expecting to see him behind her.

Rey didn’t answer. She took another step into the darkness.

“Do not go further,” his voice commanded. “You will wait for me.”

She felt another emotion, something that wasn’t her own. The surprise was gone. Now something else was slipping through, bleeding across their open channel.

“You’re afraid,” she whispered.

Kylo did not answer her, but she knew he heard her. He was trying to move, and before the connection was severed, she heard one last thought.

“Don’t let me be too late.”


	6. Crypt

Don’t let me be to late

Rey wanted to laugh bitterly at his words, but she was too busy screaming for her life. Bravery was gone and terror so terrible she wondered if she truly known what it meant to be afraid. The creature that had come out hadn’t been Kylo, it had been something insidious in both form and intent.

Having heard Kylo’s frantic last thought, she raced blindly into the darkness. The fact he’d been afraid had bolstered her bravado, making her foolishly believe that she’d stood a chance. How badly she’d misunderstood his last words.

No, he hadn’t been afraid for himself, but for her.

This was her tomb.

This was where she was going to die.

____________

Miles of trees blurred by in a kaleidoscope of colors, and the wind howled like a beast around him. He should let her die. He shouldn’t be flying along at breakneck speed to save a foolish mortal’s life.

His fear was what moved him, even as he tried to tell himself it was remnants of the girl’s, for how could he, who had not felt such things be terrified?

He’d severed their connection to clear his mind, but also because the girl had reached out and grabbed a thought from his subconscious as if only the thinnest of membrane had separated her from it. That alone should not be possible.

Witch?

He dismissed that quickly, she had not the telling birthmark of the five point star next to her left wrist.

Fae?

No, her scent while pleasant had not one ounce of jasmine and incense that ethereal blood created like a natural perfume.

Who is this slip of a girl, and why did he care whether she lived or died?

The odds of him reaching her alive were slim, but to counter that thought, the odds of her being at the crypt were astronomical.

How did she escape the castle?

Hux, his apprentice had been instructed to use an entrapment spell once Rey was inside his home. However, the man was mortal and his casting lacked finesse, it was possible his student hadn’t been up to the task.

The sentinel?

Kylo had caught the brief battle flashing in her memory before severing their connection. The serpent dead by the girl’s hand, could possibly be explained. Fat and lazy from feasting on Kylo’s last victim, the snake’s senses may have dulled allowing the girl a lucky killing blow.

The shadow-box door, she just walked through it, unharmed…

Not possible. The gateway was bound to him alone. The entire garden was one giant mousetrap set to kill a power hungry mage, a servant of the white, or another predatory vampire. For the girl to cross and live would mean the incantation recognized himself? But that made no sense, unless…

She’s your Soul-Bond.

The puzzle pieces snapped together, and the mystery of who this girl was revealed itself.

The balance of darkness and light, created one for every vampire born under a full moon.

This his old master, Snoke, had told him, before revealing another terrible truth. “Remember young apprentice, once the bond is established, your life will be tied to theirs, and should they die…” Snoke’s blue eyes had looked at Kylo with feigned affection. “No vampire has survived the loss, they take the dawn. All of them.”

Snoke killed his mate before the bond set. The first to do so intentionally among their kind, and also the last. The consequences of his actions so terrible, that no vampire would repeat the grievous error.

Until now.

Kylo flippant in his attraction to her and callous in his centuries of solitude, had not recognized the magnetism between them as having any significance.

  
If the girl died, he’d become like Snoke. No that wasn’t true. He wouldn’t get the luxury of hundreds of years to waste away, the girl had set the bond.

He’d given her his blood.

The ocean was loud in his ears, the foam capping with violent swirls and he could taste the salt on his tongue. The castle that had been a speck, grew closer. Even so, he could not bring himself to open their connection yet, unable to hear her last screams if he was too late.

Hold on Rey, please.

The creature in that crypt once liberated of its prison might play with her first: break her down, bone by bone, peel her skin as one would the flesh of an apple letting Kylo find the remnants of her body scattered among the crypt, a macabre scavenger hunt of flesh.

As most demons spawned in the furnace, this imp was blind, drawn to its victims by their immorality and depravity. Capturing the malignant spirit in the tomb hadn’t taken much; it had swollen its belly and grown lazy, feasting on the lustful roar of self-indulgent souls who gambled, whored and gluttoned their bodies into the ground.

Rey possessed none of the deadly sins, and so might have eluded detection and fled. The girl seemed to have a knack for defying the odds. Yet, this time he knew without his intervention there would be no grace.

The crypt was now sealed. The demon would have only one place to go.

“Oh what a death you’ve chosen for yourself. You remember the last time you fought a demon without a protection circle to stand in? Oh I do, because I saved you. Have you grown strong enough? Because it won’t just be the imp you’ll contend with. The worm will open the pit, and if you fail, there will be no second chance.” His master’s voice, and while it was his own imagination creating Snoke’s mockery, he heard it all the same.

Approaching the garden, the gust of wind brought the smell of sulfer to his nostrils, and the ash danced in the air, catching in his hair and clothes. The channel was opened, was the girl even alive?

As he reached out to reestablish the connection, something very close to a prayer to the light crossed his lips.

“Rey?”

Terror, blinding sheer terror flashed white hot in his brain as he suddenly experienced the full force of her emotions. She felt the renewed connection too and reached out to it like a lifeline. Perhaps she would’ve begged anyone in his position, but hearing her beg him... there was a tightness in his chest that he forced himself to ignore.

His feet touched down outside the crypt.

“I’m here…” he whispered to her.

“Please, Kylo, please don’t let it take me…”

She was hysterical in her fear, and then her voice broke into screams, and he had to sever the connection, lest he go mad.

______________

She felt Kylo break off from her again, and the flicker of hope kindling in her chest faded. She screamed again, desperate. The thing crawling from the grave paused, a gaping spot where its nose should be. It chuffed in air and blew it out with a sickening puff.

It has no face, no face, no face, no face...the words replaying over and over like a needle that couldn’t jump the track...no face, no face...

A cavernous mouth was located on the back of its head, and it twitched its neck in a ticking motion allowing with grotesque agility to turn full circle, much like an owl.

“Daughter of Eve,” the cold voice hissed, the tongue slathering between needle-sharp teeth. “To be set free by such hands, to repay such debt, the joy in ripping you apart…”

The tongue slithered low, hovering over a rippling backbone. Arms protruded at jutting angles in ways that did not seem fully connected to the body; they twitched and flopped, but seemed to be incapable of focused movement. Its body radiated a dull luminescent glow that reminded her of the watches made in the 1950’s, that had used radium to illuminate the numbers with painted poison.

“What are you?”

Rey had fallen back on her haunches when the monster had sprung from its entrapment. She still hadn’t gotten back up, and she was unsure if it would let her now.

“Daughter of Eve, has the corruption of knowledge weakened your mind? Doest thou not smell the sulphur and know thy tempest?”

“Lucifer?”

It barked harshly, reminding her of a hyena with a broken voice box. “Names you call only a useless one. Daughter of Eve, mourn thy fate. I will take thee with me. You will go mad before I feast,” the creature cooed. Its legs were bowed and it didn’t walk so much as thrust itself forward as if it was a ghoulish marionette. “Daughter of Eve, claw thine eyes out. My mercy, I give. Or look, and see thy fate.”

“No, please.”

Rey tried to stand up, but as she moved the ground began to split open beneath her. Heat rose up and the crypt was flooded with swirls of red light.

The demon lunged. Its flailing arms, useless for grabbing, sought to slash instead. Black razor talons jutted from its wrists. She cringed away as the claws raked her back. She expected to feel the ripping sensation of her skin being torn open, but instead the claws skittered harmlessly across the fabric of her dress.

It screamed in outrage, the sound bloodying her eardrums. She clawed at the ground, pulling herself towards the exit. The skin on her arms and face stung from the blast of hot air that was growing stronger as the chasm opened wider.

“Daughter of Eve” it screamed. “Come down with me, come down and I shall let you be eternal.”

The ground lurched beneath her feet, the stone floor turning into a slide and her escape going with it.

“No…”

She looked behind her and saw its mouth open wide, teeth jutting out, waiting for her. She screamed one last plea as her body slid down.

“Kylo….”

Strong hands grabbed her. The rows of teeth snapped loudly, missing her foot by a hot breath. Rey grasped wildly. Kylo pressed her close as she circled her arms around his neck and begged him to not let go.

“Damned One, you think to take my prize?” The demon shrieked at Kylo

Rey glanced over her shoulder and saw the demonic entity rise up.

“Andariel, you were easy to catch, and I hardly had to use enchantment to hold you. Go back to the pit, weak one, go back and writhe among the worms.”

“Not without my prize. You have fallen from His grace, Damned One.”

“Worm, whose name even the harlots of Gomorrah know, you have tested the last of my patience. Return, or I will trap your wretchedness in a mirror and shatter the glass.”

Kylo’s voice was even, but Rey felt his wrath through their connection. He only held back because she was between them.

The creature tried to move, but something in the chasm jerked the thing back, and she heard whispering behind her. Kylo’s words made no sense, the tone seemed unnatural, deep as if it echoed inside his throat. The imp sunk lower and she felt the vehmanence in Kylo’s tone pick up.

Andariel’s body started to elongate, but whether Kylo was doing this purposefully or the darkness below was pulling it in, Rey did not know.

“I will see you burn, damned one. You will not rule down here.” Its gaping mouth laughed even as steam rose up, spraying its skin and making the flesh on its bones bubble. “Destined to a Daughter of Eve when you should have found a daughter of Lilith. Light, so much light in this one.”

The furnace was taking her breath, searing her skin. The demon’s shape was losing hold.

“Farewell Damned One, you have bound yourself to your own destruction.” The imps voice gurgled away inside the chasm.

“I can’t breath...” Rey pressed her face into Kylo’s chest, her hands losing hold on his shirt as the smoke suffocated.

Kylo wrapped his arms around her. “Hold on, I’m unraveling the…” He adjusted her and she heard him swear. The chasm below spewed out a stream of black hot oil, and Kylo spun from it to shield her.

“The hole is getting bigger, we have to get out.” Rey pleaded.

“Close your eyes Rey, it’s not for mortal eyes to see what’s below.”

Rey shut them, but only to keep the heat from burning her blind. Kylo was struggling with something monumental, the fire was below them, but he could not move up, the pressure above was preventing escape.

Kylo made a sweeping hand gesture and Rey felt the pressure above give, just as the heat exploded below them.

The sensation of flying was bizarre. Superman had lovingly carried Lois Lane to safety, but this felt more like she was rubber band that had been snapped back into place.

Fresh air hit her lungs, and she painfully gasped like a newborn given life. The sky was dark and blanketed with a cascade of stars. She drank them in, as if she’d never seen them before. His face moved close to hers. He was breathing hard, his forehead pressing against hers.

“Rey.” But he could not say any more, and she didn’t want him to. He must have felt the same way, for he lowered his head and took her lips with his own.


	7. Wager

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fan Art by lillithkiss. She drew the characters and I used PicArt app for background and effects.

His skin was as pale as the moon. She gazed up at his face, so stark against the night sky. The rivers of her heart diverged, and instead of fighting the current, she embraced it. His mouth ghosted over her blistered lips. She felt the rise and fall of his chest belie the quiet calm in his touch and knew that he was coming down from an adrenaline rush, as a climber would after a near fall. 

The rational part of her brain had long since been subdued. In the morning, when the light of day would erase all the shadows, she’d accept the nightmare and process it. Right now, Kylo was safety, he was protection, he was the buffer between the dawn and the horror that had almost consumed her. 

Opening her lips, she pressed them against his and tasted him.

He hesitated. With a flicker of humor, she felt his confusion at the intensity she insisted on from him. Now on level ground, he no longer had to hold her. Once her feet were steady, he trailed his hands into her rich hair, accepting her demand to deepen the kiss. 

Her fingers still gripped his shirt, and she pressed them under the lapel of his jacket to remove it. He shifted his shoulders, allowing her to slide the jacket off. Her tongue danced in his mouth and teased him, slipping in and out. She heard him growl at her efforts at seduction. When he tried to break away, she nipped against the bottom of his lip in admonishment.

The fingers in her hair drew down to cup her face. His thumbs stroked her cheeks. He didn’t speak, but the word ‘goddess’ echoed from his thoughts to hers. The rapture of their connection quieted all thought until it was only a swirl of vibrant colors that bled between them. His midnight eyes with their black magic held her own.

She felt her hunger reflected back from him as he took her mouth once more, but this time he sought to mark a trail that led across her cheek, nipping the soft flesh of her ear, and then along the hollow of her throat till he’d reached the apex of her neck. 

Rey’s fingers explored the contours of his chest. The fabric of his shirt, while soft and fine, was a barrier to the body she wanted to examine. Grasping the material, she pulled it up, helping him wrestle it up and off. She took the opportunity to study his skin as an explorer would a treasure map, noting how It didn’t prickle with goosebumps in the cold air. 

Intrigued, she pressed closer. 

She knew now that he was a vampire, but she was still startled by the sensation of being skin to skin with a living body that had no beating heart. The sensation itself both helped and hindered her acceptance of the nature of his existence. 

Kylo, having pulled the shirt off, must have understood her awe at this collision of reason and sensation, and stood still so she could press her ear to his chest and listen to the silence.

He stroked her hair gently, moving it over her shoulder, and waited. 

“Would my weapon have killed you?” she murmured quietly as she kissed the spot where she should have felt his heart beat.

“It would’ve hurt, but no,” he answered. She felt the truth of what he said, but also noticed that he was deflecting away from an important detail. His lips quirked in a suggestive smile; he was not willing to give that piece up.

Kylo led her from the crypt into a small clearing that was close to a large willow tree. He guided her under it, and she knew it was for her benefit and not his. The large draping canopy of leaves took the edge off the wind. The moon streamed silver through the twining leaves, casting crisscrossing shadows on Kylo’s pale skin. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt a shift in his hunger. He would take her. The leaves roared loudly, and her thoughts seemed to shudder with them in nervous anticipation. Lifting her gently, he found a bed of soft grass and laid her down in it.

“This dress does not need to keep you safe any longer,” he whispered into her ear as his large fingers splayed on her abdomen. Those deft fingers moved along the satin and sequins as he breathed out a single syllable she couldn’t decipher. 

The cloth shimmered. Its colors burst brightly and then faded to a dull gray as the material dissolved to droplets. The warm liquid on her body slid off her skin like mercury, only to be absorbed into the earth below. The magician’s trick was so fascinating that she didn’t move to cover her now naked form. 

God help her, she should be frightened, fighting him even, but all she wanted was for his body to cover her own, and for everything in this upside-down world to melt away. He hovered over her, and she felt a flush of self-consciousness warm her cheeks as he took in every inch of her. The pads of his fingertips brushed her skin and for one dazzling second, she saw herself through their bond and found neither lust nor cheap desire, but the deepest reverence. 

Her eyes felt shiny with need, and she relaxed her hands above her head, knowing she was playing Venus in his eyes. The heavens between them felt as thin as mountain air, and he dipped just above her navel to draw a line with his tongue that traveled to the peaks of her breast and then her nipples. Her back arched, and when his teeth nipped and sucked on the tips she felt as if he were lighting fuses, one by one.

His hips thrust against her, reminding her he was overdressed for the occasion. Unable to remedy the situation in her current position, she pushed herself up and brought her hands to his chest, only to find Kylo had no intention of moving just yet. Frustrated by the feel of his erection against her, she pulled hard at his hair, making him at last break away. 

Kylo’s brown eyes had blackened, and Rey could tell that his hunger bordered on both physical and sexual. Through their connection she understood; he mistakenly believed she was urging him to stop. He felt the hold on his control falter, and a primal instinct to take her by force wrangle in his mind. The two conflicting sides of him took away some of her bravado, as her fingers now traveled down the lines of his pale stomach to rest atop the clasp of his slacks. 

When she glanced back up, the edge of his hunger had softened, and the black rim of his irises looked lighter. Slowly, she slid the material down his thighs as he shifted to kick them off. 

A virgin, she was not, but at that moment, she felt close to it again. Her nervousness said it all. The butterflies she felt in her stomach enhanced the feeling of desire. The way she craved him was almost too much. The evidence of his desire was clear enough, and since she’d felt like Venus under his stare, she returned the sentiment by picturing him as Ares above her. Moistening her lips, she trailed her hands low and enjoyed taking control back, knowing that he had not lost his.

Now it was he who lay on his back as she pushed him down. The slight feeling of dominance over him was fascinating. He looked at her with awe, his mind clear as glass, unable to hide anything from her. 

She used her lips to take him. Kylo’s fingers threaded into her hair, gripping hard when she nipped and trembling when she took him deep. The back of her throat was almost painfully tight as he pushed himself further in.

Neither one of them liked to play fair and so, when she had teased him twice to the point of climax, he forcibly rolled them over and pinned her body down hard. Grabbing her hips, he dragged them up, making no secret of his ambition. He placed her so that her legs rested over his shoulders and her fingers could not even grasp his hair. He held her down and kept her in position so he could affix his lips to the sex between her legs.

He had no intention of going easy, and soon she felt wound up tighter than piano strings and she bit her lip so as not to beg. Kylo, seeing her resolve, set about the challenge of making her and allowed no respite as he, with a surgeon’s precision, knew exactly where to draw the tool of his trade. The dawn would come before he’d lose this game, and understanding the futility in it, she opened her mouth and cried his name.

The push over the edge had only been a breath away, and he held her close as she shuddered violently in his arms. He laid her down gently and she felt him press his hardness into the warmth of her sex, her arousal making the passage possible. The sensation of being filled, that she was now his and he was hers, echoed with a finality that was more than physical.

He moved slowly at first, trying to allow her time to adjust, but the need to take her —and his aggressive nature —were winning. She was prepared when his control snapped, and though it edged on painful, she felt blissful satisfaction in his possession of her. When his thrusts lost their fevered pace, she knew his impending climax was close.

It was then that she felt the teeth, and while she’d accepted the bizarre state of his unearthly body, the prickle of them on her skin made her jump and look up at the extended fangs fearfully.

“You are my mate,” he said, his voice ragged, “ there is a full moon. It is the only time when this can be done.” He was breathing hard and trying to explain before he sank his teeth in.

“You wish to feed?” she asked weakly, knowing it was more than just that.

“Don’t be afraid. It will only hurt a little. The mortal body will be gone, and we can truly be together.”

He must have felt her panic at the prospect, for he slowed the movements of his hips, rocking in an easy pulse that brought her back to him, even as she felt him kiss her neck, urging her to say yes.

“Rey.” 

He promised her with his lips, with his mind, that he was hers, that this was everything they were meant to be. She refused, even as she clung to him.

“Please, Rey…”

He must have known the answer, even as he gazed into her eyes. Afraid, she buried her face in his chest and wondered if he’d simply take what he wanted. Her climax found her, harsh and sharp, almost a punishment instead of a reward. Kylo pushed her arms away and held her body still with his hands as he finished with one final thrust. 

The rejection of being thrust from his embrace made her old fears of abandonment resurface, even as she realized he’d done it to prevent himself from taking what she’d feared. Having come, he rolled off her. She wanted to touch him but knew to do so would break the battle of self-restraint he was struggling with. Not knowing who would win, she shivered in the cold and watched as his fingers dug into the grass and his jaw fought to work his teeth back. 

There was nothing sexual or alluring in the act. Instead, it reminded her of a snake that had dislocated its jaw, and she grimaced at the sound of bones popping. When he severed the connection between them, she understood that even in this he was protecting her from feeling his pain. At last, he broke the quiet with a sharp gasp and coughed hard, on all fours like an animal. Rey was glad he could not read her thoughts, for he no longer appeared a figure to be feared, but something terrible to be pitied.

He didn’t look at her, instead retrieving his jacket and shirt and bidding her put them on. His voice was flat and the look in his eyes seemed vacant. He pulled his slacks on and then ran his hands through his hair. He was watching her as she fumbled with the large piece of material over her small frame. The jacket was heavy, and it took the edge off her chill. He stood over her, his long shadow blotting out the light behind him and she suddenly felt very small.

“I want to go home now,” she said, her large eyes looking up at him. 

Home was in Portland, and she told herself that tomorrow her ticket was going to be taken by a very nice flight attendant who would escort her onto a plane, and then this would be a dream and a nightmare. Kylo and his castle would stay back behind their enchanted veil forever.

“Rey…” He looked at her with something close to pity. “There is no going back.”

“You didn’t turn me,” she whispered, and then, afraid that he was preparing her with his words, she begged. “Please don’t turn me.” 

His shoulders sagged and he ran his fingers through his hair again in frustration. “You need not fear that. I cannot turn you unless you agree.”

“Oh.” She hugged her knees and tried to take some comfort in that. “Then why do I feel you’ll stop me if I try to leave?”

He crouched down to meet her gaze. “You felt it when we coupled. It is a connection that cannot be broken.”

“All right, the sex was good. You saved my life; I was emotional…”

He stroked her cheek and brushed away the first glimmer of tears. 

“I have no words to comfort you. I would not know how. It has not been in my nature to feel…” 

He leaned close to kiss her.

Rey shoved him away and stood up. “No. I’m not staying with you. You know nothing about me; you drugged me; you tried to take my free will with the strawberries; you tricked me into wearing the dress.”

Kylo rubbed his jaw, slowly rising, the effect reminding her that she was a kitten in the shadow of a lion. 

His voice had gone cold as he replied. “Yes, and I’ll apologize for none of it. I gave you wine laced with my blood. I did not make you drink it, and you seemed to enjoy it immensely. I only wanted you to crave me, but since you are my mate, it had the unintended effect of setting the start of our connection.” 

He did not brag, simply stated the facts. “I take pets from time to time. I would have enjoyed the carnal features of your body, and then, after I had my fill, would’ve allowed you to go back to Portland with a feeling of warmth between your legs, no memory of the nights, and directions to take a month worth of iron tablets.”

Rey snorted. “Bullshit. You’d have killed me like you did John.”

“Vampires who kill for sport do not live for long. But from time to time I send my master, the one human’s call Satan, a treat, and John was too tempting not to send his way.” His smile was hideous, and his teeth gleamed white. “Would you like to see his laptop? Would you like to know that the lock of hair in his wallet is a decade old missing child?”

Rey recoiled, so he opened the connection and bade her look. When she didn’t, he severed it again and his voice held a hint of disgust. “Now to the strawberries. At the time you were nothing more than a plaything, and I had no intention of spending the night chiseling ice off your frigid morals or seducing you in that drab costume. The effect would’ve worn off, and you’d have been none the wiser.” 

Stepping closer he gripped her shoulders, digging fingers into the flesh around her collarbone when she tried to step back. 

“The dress was a lucky break. I could not find such a costume on short notice, so I used an archaic spell meant for protection that could take any shape. It is made to fit like skin, and I believe it saved your life.”

“Fine, I believe I said thank you for that,” she snapped and saw his mouth harden at her casual attempt to diminish the last hour. “Let’s call it even.”

“Hardly,” Kylo said dryly.

“I was going to kill you,” Rey said as she looked at him. “When I opened that stone casket, I was ready to thrust that pick into your chest. What kind of soulmate does that?”

A smile twitched at the edge of his mouth, and she could tell he wanted to kiss her again. “The only one I deserve.” 

_ He’s mad, _ she thought, _ There is no reasoning with him. Hopefully Rose and Finn will… _

Her heart pounded in alarm, even as he wrenched her close in the acknowledgment of her hidden secret. Shutting her mind, she felt his press against her, trying to find the truth. When she resisted, her head pounded with a pain so terrible it ripped a half-strangled shriek from her lips as the pressure intensified. She knew when he found it and callously extracted it from her mind. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she gagged from the nausea it produced.

“Is that why you laid wanton below me. To buy your friends time?” 

He grabbed her hair, arching her neck to make her look at him.

“No…” She opened her eyes to find a stranger in front of her. When the tendrils of his mind searched for the truth, she made no futile attempts to stop him. 

“That was…” She fumbled for the words, unsure what to say. What was that? Did she even know? “Not part of it.” 

He released her, and she wondered if he meant to take her life. His hands clenched, fingernails digging into his palms. He’d drawn blood as he held them to his sides.

“Such weakness. You can thank your mortal body for that. Had you even a shred of knowledge of the dark arts, you might have been able to conceal this truth from me. I will deal with them, and you.”

Fear was replaced by anger. “I’m weak? You are the epitome of the word. Feeding off us like a parasite. Do you think that makes you powerful?” 

She rose, not caring that his eyes warned her to silence. “You should’ve taken the sun after your Queen died.”

“And you should hold your tongue, before I take it.”

“Fine, silence me. You’re a monster who only lives because he fears death.” 

She saw the truth of her words flicker in his eyes and coldness wash it away. She leaned close, knowing these might be her last words. While she didn’t have a stake with her, there were other ways to pierce an unbeating heart. “You pitiful thing. I’ll die one death, but how many will you experience in that hell that has no end?”

He raised his hand to strike her, and she flinched back. When the blow didn’t come, she saw his mask of anger had been replaced by a cold, calculating one.

“What about a wager than? I’ll even play fair in the game.”

“A game?” 

Rey bundled the suit closer around her, trying to keep her upper body warm as her legs were painfully exposed to the elements. Her teeth chattered slightly. 

“What kind of game?”

“You seem to think our bond holds no sway over your desire for me. You believe the union between us was an emotional response to extreme terror and duress. So, I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself right.”

Rey was cautious. “You’ll let me go?”

“Not exactly. I promised you a party and so you shall go. I’ll only take your memories. You will wake up in your dress and have full control of your choices and desires. No doubt, during the party we will meet.” He gave her a wry smile. “I will use no enchantment. I will court you as a mortal man with words and dance.”

Rey tried to keep the chattering of her teeth out of her voice. “And when I tell you to fuck off?”

Kylo smiled, but it held no warmth. “Well then, it will prove the soulbond doesn’t exist. I will know I was wrong and you can go and lead your boring mortal life.”

“With my friends?”

“With every single one of your twenty-eight coworkers. I won’t even _ parasitically _feed on them.”

Rey felt him open the connection and allow her to validate the truth. He opened his arms, as if exposing his body would allow her to see he had no tricks up his sleeve.

“What’s the catch?” 

“If I am right, and you are by design my intended mate, then you will fail. You will pursue me, and not only that, but before dawn you shall also willingly request that I bed you again. When I have enjoyed my victory, and you find yourself naked and sated in my arms, I will return your memory.”

“That will never happen,” Rey said. “There is no soul bond and you’ll cheat-”

One hand reached out and grasped her wrist. She knew it was futile, but she struggled to break free. With his free hand, Kylo traced a symbol on her forearm and whispered words that echoed like a rush of birds around her. 

“What are you doing?”

“Setting the oath.” 

The chitter of voices in her brain became louder, and she felt her head spin. “Stop. I don’t like this.”

“It can’t be broken now. When you lose, you will belong to me.”

“Wait. I didn’t accept.” The trees and grass rippled darkly as their shape and color swam from her vision. 

“Would you rather I just kill your friends?”

“No…” Kylo was starting to fade out of focus. “Then I accept. But there’s no choice, is there? I won’t know if you cheat since you’re going to take away my memories of this.”

“I cannot cheat, and neither can you.”

“I’ll deny you.”

Before the waves pulled her under, she heard him laugh.

“We’ll see.”


	8. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Art Work I commissioned from Haloren1 you can find her on Tumblr. Amazing work

Rey smelled flowers. 

The wild variations that grow outside, not the faint sweet smell that floral departments, while pleasant, could never replicate. Opening her eyes, she found herself alone and laying in a large king size bed. A fire was blazing in a hearth and she understood, with a sweep of the room, she’d awoken within the castle walls.

“Hey, sleepy head.” 

The disembodied voice sounded like Rose. The floral scent tapered off and was gone. 

The bedroom window’s heavy brown curtain was tied back with a mauve tassel allowing the natural moonlight to stream in. The fire crackled and popped, but around the hearth the walls were lost in shadow that deepened into inky blackness at the corners.

It was from one of these shapeless corners that Rose emerged, making Rey sit upright with a jolt, as the outline of her friend materialized with all the dramatic flare of a good horror movie. 

Rose’s dark hair was braided beautifully around her head like a halo. Pink and blue ribbons interwoven with sprigs of baby’s breath to accentuate. A simple blue dress with an empire waist fitted to her form and made her look every bit the part of Juliet.

Rey’s shock wore off. Relief came next, but even as she smiled at Rose, her fingers bunched the blankets beneath her with white knuckles. It was then that she noticed her own costume, and for a second, Rose was forgotten. She was dressed in layers of silk, the outfit clearly a replica of Sara’s Labyrinth ballroom gown. Where had this costume come from?

_ Kylo had the dress flown in. Rose helped you dress. _

Only words, no images. Rey shook her head slowly, as if that would free the memory. Why was she at the castle?

_ The bus picked you up from the hotel.  _

Words. Why was it words? Pressing her closed palms to the sides of her temples, she concentrated hard. 

“Rose, somethings wrong. I can’t remember why I’m here.” 

“You came on the bus.” Rose' voice sounded almost as flat as the recorder in Rey’s brain. “I helped you get dressed. I curled your hair. I-”

“Why am I in bed?”  _ You were tired, and wanted to sleep before joining the party. _

“You were tired, and-” Rose started _ _

With all the grace of a cat trying to get out of a bathtub, Rey maneuvered off the bed. When she stood, she found her feet were trapped in high heels.   
  


A knock on the door disrupted Rey from giving her friend a good shake. Rose turned, but the motion seemed practiced, and Rey had the queer feeling she was watching a staged scene.

Rose opened the door and Finn, dressed as Rose’s counterpart, stepped through quietly. No, “Fair Juliet”, no corny Shakespeare line, not even a chaste hello kiss. The mystery of the night only deepened as Romeo concealed his face with a blue-grey mask adorned with teal feathers and a red beak. The disguise hiding everything but his lips and lower jaw. He handed Rose a pink satin mask with pearls sewn into the corners. It was made to personify a butterfly, and like Finn’s, Rose’s mask shrouded everything but the soft pout of her lips when Rose put it on.

The couple, now together in the door frame, turned to look at her. They smiled like dolls and slipped into the hallway.

“Hey, wait!” Rey’s feet, unaccustomed to such precarious heights, instantly tried to trip her. She caught herself, stumbling two steps before she righted her stance, avoiding a nasty fall. It was then that she noticed her reflection in the vanity mirror.

“Holy shit,” she whispered as she moved towards it. Then to verify, she reached out and touched the glass.

Her dark hair had been teased to a point of volume that was shocking. She could not possibly have that much hair. Not to mention, her make-up was movie picture perfect. 

  
  


When she tried to remember any details, it felt as if she kept hitting some pre-recorded answering machine in her brain.  _ Rose curled your hair. Rose did your make-up. Kylo flew in your dress. Leave a message after the beep.  _ No memory, only words. 

Finn and Rose were not in the hallway. Had she really expected them to be? A part of her felt the moment the duo had left they’d dissolved into thin air. 

Her footsteps sounded loud as she made her way towards the party. She wished someone would stroll by, even Reynolds, if only to drown out the awful sound of silence. In her active imagination, shadows crept closer and several painted portraits of nobles with glossy eyes followed her as she hurried by. 

The ballroom was easy to find, it had two large doors with gargoyles carved into their handles. Streams of gold seeped under the massive door frame, beckoning with promises of warmth and life. All of this should make her shove the doors open with relief, but instead, she swallowed hard and withdrew a step, unable to shake the feeling of being a moth to a flame.

Rey glanced over her shoulder, and thought, with some foreboding, that the area behind her seemed to have darkened.  _ Walk this way, _ the shadows seemed to say,  _ and we’ll swallow you whole.  _

_ It’s only a trick of the light, tomorrow I’ll laugh at how silly I’m being. _

The recesses of pooling shadows seemed to mock her, for while she knew they could not hurt her, she hadn’t the courage to go anywhere but forward. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and found another world.

The ballroom was enormous and it was filled to the brink with people. A large dual staircase dipped at the outskirts of the middle, and it was by this that the band was set up to play. Twenty-eight coworkers should make the room feel like a Tuesday night at the karaoke bar, but instead, she found herself surrounded by well-dressed party-goers in a VIP event. 

A tall woman with silver feathers sewn into an ivory gown of muslim brushed past her. Three knights with velvet black masks turned to stare at her briefly before stepping aside to allow her to drift by them. She turned around and bumped into a short man dressed as a flamboyant rooster. He looked her up and down before returning to his conversation with a pretty dressed mermaid. The bright colors and gaudy outfits made strangers of everyone. 

A green suited couple danced by her and Rey, having reached the inner circle, saw couples start to pair off. They circled one another, jested and weaved across the floor, reminding Rey of toy figures in a music box. The way they moved was hypnotizing as they drifted along, perfectly in time with the violins. 

Speckled among the guests, servants dressed in black tuxedos with bone-white painted faces weaved through the attendants. Above their heads they held silver platters with glass flutes. Rey thought they looked like modern day grim reapers. One, having made his rounds near her, stopped and held the platter down for her to take a drink. His green eyes gave her a friendly look and he smiled encouragingly.

“Thank you,” she said and grabbed a flute. “Who are all these people? Where are my coworkers?”

He shook his head and made a zipper motion with his fingers over his lips before moving on,leaving Rey, once again, lost in a sea of masked faces. 

For a second Rey saw Jojo’s white dress, but the swell pressed close and she was gone. Rey took a sip of her drink and tried to enjoy the bubbles on her tongue and the smooth rich taste that coated her throat. 

“Enjoying my party?” 

Rey turned to find Kylo dressed in a suit that paired with her dress. She gave him a once over and had to at least give him props for effort. “I guess I didn’t get the memo it was a masquerade,” Rey said. 

Kylo stopped a servant and took a drink for himself. He returned his gaze to her. “My apologies. If you had stayed at the castle overnight I’m sure you’d have received it,” Kylo said with a hint of admonishment.

“Where’s your mask?” 

“I don’t think there’s a mask I could wear that you wouldn’t see through.” He said absently, looking her over. “I took it off when I saw your face bare of one. You looked painfully alone and in need of company.”

“I was just looking for my friends.” 

“Romeo and Juliet?”

“Yes”

“Tragic story, don’t you think?” Kylo stepped closer, allowing a man dressed as a pirate to amble behind him. “They made the mistake of not trusting their deep bond. Allowing themselves to be separated.”

“That was a story of lust, not love,” Rey scoffed. “Star-crossed lovers are for hopeless romantics. You can’t believe in all that?” 

“I believe in balance, and soulmates are the purest form of it.” His voice serious. 

“Didn’t Shakespeare warn us about embracing such relationships?” Rey gave a wry grin and added a line from memory, “Some consequence yet hanging in the stars.” 

“You mock the notion. Why?”

“I don’t mock people finding happiness, but the notion of one person controlling my destiny isn’t a fantasy I want to buy into. I’d like to think I am in charge of my fate, and not the stars or some higher power, ” Rey said, unable to hide the vinegary bite.

“Suppose such a person existed. Would you toss it all away because you were afraid of such companionship?” Kylo asked conversationally. “Surely, you could still be true to yourself and allow another to be apart of your life?” 

  
  


“What loves you that deeply can cut you that deeply, and I have enough scars.”

Kylo went silent at her words.  _ Shit, where did that come from. _ “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was the little girl who didn’t want to be a princess, never saw the allure.”

“Yet, you are dressed as one?”

“You haven’t seen the movie?” She smirked when he shook his head no. “The Princess tells the Goblin King that despite his roguish charm and amazing good looks, he has no power over her, and to get lost.” 

Kylo’s expression at this piece of information was priceless, his eyes widened and his mouth opened like an airplane hanger that was desperately trying to get a retort to fly out. Rey had to take the last sip of her drink to cover a giggle of laughter that would seem rude. The poor guy had gone to such lengths to acquire the costumes without knowing the premise or the plot. 

Kylo cleared his throat. “That explains much,” he said to no one in particular. Taking her empty flute, he motioned for a server to retrieve them. 

Rey, having nothing to do with her hands, buried them in her dress. She saw Kylo’s distant look and decided to give him a polite exit. “Well, seeing how you invited the locals, and then some, I believe you can find a princess who falls for lines about true love.” Rey gave him a wink. “They’ll probably have sweeter words for you that will cut less than mine.”

Kylo’s hands, free of drink, dropped idly to his side. There was a long, pregnant pause and Rey was sure he was about to bid her goodnight when he spoke. “I do not fear scars, nor the wielder of the blade that would carve them. I think it is better to feel such pain then to become numb to one’s existence trying to avoid it.”   
  


For a split-second, Kylo managed the impossible and broke through her cynical idealism, creating the slightest hairline fracture in the walls around her heart. Rey wasn’t avoiding love, she was putting that business on a shelf for later, much later. 

“I’m not numb,” Rey said.

“It doesn’t take long. A few decades at most.” 

Rey was about to ask how old he was when a woman, dressed as a cat, bumped into Kylo, and with a silky voice, asked for the time.

With Kylo preoccupied, Rey half-turned to peer around the room with the vain hope of spotting Rose or Finn. Actually, anyone who could serve an excuse to leave would do. The music had picked a softer tempo. The couples no longer stepped lightly, but moved in slow circles. 

“I should find my best friend,” Rey said as a farewell.

Kylo, having whispered something in the woman’s ear, was rewarded with a smile and purr. As with feline grace, the woman sauntered off, twirling her costume tail for added effect. He didn’t give her another look, even as the woman glanced back a few times, clearly hoping he’d follow. 

Kylo gave an irritated sigh.

“Look to your right, by the band, they are, what’s the word you hu-americans use? Necking,” he said, inclining his head in the direction without turning to look. 

Kylo was correct, and she found the duo fervently involved with each other, almost to the point of being obscene. 

“Looks like they are reenacting a few scenes from the play,” He said, bemused. “I do not wish to speak for the couple, but I highly doubt they want to be interrupted.”

Crossing her arms, Rey blew a hair out of her face and wondered what to do next. Go back to her room and sulk? Stand by the door, like a wallflower, till the band goes home? Or enjoy the company of a, albeit odd, single guy?

The castle owner wasn’t pawing all over her, or lewdly looking at her body like a piece of meat. He’d, so far, been polite and courteous, asking for nothing in return for the extravagance of the party or expenses he’d taken on her behalf. He must expect something from her. At that moment, she decided to test it.

“Thanks for the costume. I can’t believe you found all this in time.” She waved between their matching suits. I guess, with a bottomless bank account, you probably get everything you want.”

Her tone was light, but she flicked the word ‘want’ with clear meaning. Lightly suggesting that he no doubt thought she was perhaps something he could pay for. Would he offer her money, jewelry, things he thought she would value? The moment he did, she could in all faith, leave him without a shred of guilt. However, Kylo didn’t take the bait and instead, answered her question honestly.

“Treefurg has its lure for me. It’s remote, quiet, and a private location without the intrusion of the modern world. All these things I prize, but from time to time, I need to be reminded of the living world, and enjoy the pleasure of company.”

“So that’s why you agreed to let us film?”

A server walked by and she stopped him, grabbing a flute off his tray, needing something to do with her hands.

“The owner caught me in a rare, generous mood. At the time, I did not understand what had drawn me to say yes. I had always dismissed such offers over the years.”

“It’s different here. The other castles didn’t feel so…” She paused, trying to conjure up the right word, and settled on, “cold.”

Rey had used the word to describe the inhospitable aura around the place, but to her amusement, Kylo took the verb quite literally. 

“Yes, it is terribly so in the winter. The servants wear enough layers of fur, they look more beast than man. I find the snow creates its own solitude and I rather enjoy it.”

“Why?” Rey blurted out, before realizing that might be personal. 

Kylo shrugged lightly, taking no offense. “In all my years, I have never cared for the noise and chatter of the waking world. The rise of advancements in modern technology was a marvel to behold, I bought a television just so I could watch the first man walk on the moon.” He paused. “The re-run of course.” 

_ He just lied to me. _ No, that was absurd. He couldn’t have watched the original moonwalk. “How old are you?” Rey asked, thinking he couldn’t be past his thirties.

His grin split in a Cheshire smile. “Thirty-five, last time I aged.”

Rey laughed and tried to stifle it.  _ Shit, of course. Why didn’t she factor in his native country?  _ His English, while well spoken, was probably not his first language, and clearly not everything had made it through translation.

“And you?”

“Twenty-four”

“You are young, but those eyes seem much older.”

“They’ve seen a lot.” She mumbled, and then to curb further questions, she hurried on with, “This job has allowed me to travel, and I have gypsy feet that never seem quite content.”

“From Portland to Scandinavia. I must say, they have traveled far,” Kylo said, and took her almost full glass. Rey gave a small protest.

Kylo circled, clearly looking for a member of his staff. It was then that they both saw a short man, dressed as a troll, waving both arms trying to get a servant over. Kylo stepped in front of him and slipped the flute in his open palm. The little man held the drink in a frozen comic expression of shock for a long minute before shrugging in acceptance and taking a sip.

Kylo returned, and gave a small bow before extending a hand out to her. “Would those feet care to dance?”

She hesitated for a second. “And if all my feet want to do is dance, will you be okay with that?”

“You have nothing to fear, for tonight you make all the choices.” His eyes lit with humor as he waited. “You have rendered me powerless, and that is no small feat.” 

She took his hand and his large cold fingers grasped hers with an air of possessiveness. He waited patiently till she lined her body up with his, remaining motionless till she gave him the nod to start. When she followed his steps with ease, he couldn’t hide his surprise at her knowledge of the Waltz.

“I had to learn for our high school play of Pride and Prejudice,” she said answering his unspoken question.

“A play I’ve read. Elizabeth Bennet?” Kylo inquired.

“Background extra.” Rey smiled. 

It was more fun than she’d expected, and after a few minutes, her smile felt real. When the musicians started a new dance, he didn’t even have to ask if she wanted to continue. She allowed him to lead. Falling into step seemed comfortably easy. In fact, when he started to talk she didn’t mind that either.

“You have family waiting for you back home?” he asked.

“No, not really.” She hated this topic and wished he’d chosen another. “Parents died when I was six, and no siblings.”

“It must have made you independent at a young age,” he countered. Rey liked that he did not dote with the usual ‘sorry’ or even the nosier ‘what happened’ question.

“Do your parents live close, or do they have their own castle?” she teased. 

When the smile faltered on his face, she knew they had something in common and tried to remedy it quickly. “Geez, sorry. Personal. You don’t need to answer that.”

“My mother died birthing me. I was told she was a kind woman. My father…” Kylo’s gaze drifted out and Rey realized he was searching for words. “Is at peace with my mother. I was their only child.”

“Do you own other properties, or like to travel?” Rey asked, trying to switch the topic.

“When I was younger, I often would travel to Rome and Italy. Never the Americas. Travel has become so advanced, I should perhaps attempt it one day.”

He moved her gracefully around a couple dressed as an owl and a mouse, and back into the center. Rey hadn’t even started to feel her legs tire. 

“This six month gig has been amazing. Before, all I could brag about was my senior trip to Cabo San Lucas. I can’t even say I enjoyed that vacation. I spent most of it sick.” Rey looked at him sheepishly through fluttered eyelashes. “I drank local tap water. I didn’t want to pay for bottled.”

“Frugality is not a bad thing. A tool to survive without using the enablement of others. I admire that.”

“Well, besides the tap water incident, it’s kept me debt free. I’m a thrift shop queen, and if you don’t own a lot of things, it’s easy to move on to something better.”

“And so you shall,” Kylo said with conviction, making Rey laugh. She was about to ask if he’d looked into her crystal ball, but the band started a lively tune and, not wanting to stop dancing, she had to concentrate on her footwork to keep up.

A while later, Rey was breathing hard. A trickle of sweat beaded down the nape of her neck and the start of a nice burn ran up her thighs, warning her she was a far cry from an athlete. Kylo looked wholly unaffected by the hour of dancing, making Rey feel a dagger of envy twist his way. 

The orchestra, possibly realizing their dancing audience needed a break, switched to a docile serenade. Kylo gently repositioned her left hand to his shoulder. Rey, without thought, leaned in when his fingers drifted slowly, with sensual intent, down the bare skin of her back, resting happily above the curves of her hips as they rocked with slow steps. 

“Do you really live here?” Rey asked curious. 

“Yes, I do. I had to go to great lengths to acquire it.”

“How do you legally own a castle? I can imagine the taxes and…” 

“My lawyers, a few who are dancing around this room, keep that tidy,” Kylo said, his eyes drifting from her face to the castle walls. “I coveted her, I’ll admit, long before she was mine. The elaborate designs took my breath away when I first held the mason’s papers and knew the splendor she would become.”

“Wow, it’s like you have a wife already,” Rey stated, giving him a coyish smile. “I can imagine a place like this would demand a good deal of time and energy in up-keep.”

“A cruel mistress, more like.” He grinned down at her. “The spells I have to cast to keep the walls from wearing down and the lights on tax me greatly.”

He said it so smoothly and non-chantalantly that Rey didn’t mind the strange play on words. In fact, it was far better than some snobbish reference to his Bruce Wayne bank account.

“It’s beautiful. Once you fill it with music and people, it seems less…” She stopped herself from saying evil, good grief that would have ended the dance on a stinging note. “I can see in this ballroom why you’d fall in love.”

He trailed the pads of his fingertips lightly up her back, feeling her skin prickle with delight under them. Slowly, he caressed the arch of her spine, his fingers cold, making her feel as if he was Jack Frost tracing a pattern against her skin. 

_ Cold hands, warm heart? _ She wondered this even as she closed the fraction of space between them. Her breast pressed softly against his chest. Her face was turned sideways, resting against the open skin under his chin just above his dress shirt. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of him. They rocked that way for a time.

Rey couldn’t help but think of the contrast between their first meeting and now. She wondered if he was thinking of that as well. Curious, she ventured,“When we first met, I wasn’t polite..”

“Apologies are useless, and tomorrow they will mean little,” he whispered into her hair, his breath tickling her ear. “I will never treat you like an object again.”

“I know.” Rey said quietly. “I forgave you two dances ago for that.” 

She nuzzled contently, inhaling the hint of the ocean on his skin, wondering if she’d taste the salt if she kissed his bare flesh. His fingers stroked her hair. They’d stopped moving, but neither had yet to pull apart. Couples danced around them, making Rey feel as if time had stopped for them and she was observing the party through the looking-glass.

“Thank you,” she said and tilted her head to catch Kylo’s dark eyes with her own starry ones. “If tomorrow I forget to say it. I had a wonderful night.” Her lips pressed together, moistening them with her tongue, as she offered him the perfect angle to kiss them.

A shadow of sadness passed across Kylo’s face. He kissed her softly, his lips sensuous and full against her own parted mouth, making her taste the hint of champagne on them as he deepened the kiss. He broke the kiss reluctantly, cupping her face in his hand as he rubbed a thumb over the soft skin of her lips. It was oddly intimate, something a lover would do.

“Rey. If you left now…” Kylo said, his large Adam’s apple bobbing as if the words were sticking inside his throat. “I’ll let you win.”

“Win?” she whispered, confused, and felt her brain pulse like a bobber on a lake. Something was nibbling at her mind, trying to bite, trying to make her remember.

The band had paused and Rey, in the silence, heard the pounding of her heart. 

“I don’t understand. What would I win? Are you implying I was sport? A trophy…” Rey tried to keep the hurt out of voice. 

Kylo shook his head no, but added nothing further.

A woman’s piercing giggles broke across the interim, followed by a masculine swell of laughter. Two men holding hands swayed with drunken steps toward them, both dressed as cowboys. They smiled and one even tipped his hat and mouthed a ‘ma’am’ as they walked with all the grace of two drunkards leaving a saloon.

“Then tell me to stay.” Rey searched his expression. 

“Rey, I cannot make this choice for you,” his voice sounded pained. He withdrew his hands, making her miss the feel of them pressed against her body.

“Kylo, I want to be with you tonight, isn’t that enough?” 

“No. I thought it would be.” He took a step back.

Rey understood what he was asking. Surely he couldn’t be serious. 

“I have to board a plane tomorrow night. You can’t expect me to miss it?”

“That would be crazy. Probably life altering,” Kylo concurred.

The band started up, the violin rose with a melody that was soft and vibrated with a gentle passionate tempo. He held his hand out to her. “One last dance?”

This time, when they moved, their bodies were as close as possible, his breath on her skin. The last tango before they parted, a nice memory for the road. Wasn’t that all she wanted?

She hadn’t admitted to anyone how lonely these last few months had felt with Rose and Finn getting closer and edging into the only real relationship she had. Soon she’d visit them, and it wouldn’t be weekly visits, but yearly, as they moved on in their careers and lives. Where did that leave her? 

Kylo wasn’t perfect, sure he’d been an ass at their first meeting, but tonight it seemed she’d met someone else. Maybe it didn’t have to be a one-night stand, maybe they could work out a relationship and have one of those long distance flings. There wasn’t exactly a job lined up for her waiting when she got back. Finn and Rose could take over the apartment, instead of trying to find a place of their own. They’d sublet it out to a college student while they’d been abroad.

She felt his lips brush her cheek, causing an ache of need for him. The music rose and he dipped her low, trailing his lips down her throat, before bringing her back to press against him. The last notes played with finality as if preparing for a curtain drop. Kylo’s warm amber eyes watched her as they circled one last time. 

_ I don’t want him to let go of me. I don’t want to go back to an empty room. I don’t want to be alone _ .

The music stopped. He didn’t let go of her, and she didn’t shift away.

“Kylo.”

The look in his eyes made her feel as if the stars hung in her next words.

“Will you promise me something?”

“I’ll try.”

“Don’t cut me too deeply.”

A look of relief melted into his eyes, and when their lips locked she tasted the feel of his pent up desire in the way he took her mouth. He buried his hands in her hair and Rey laughed as she tried to keep up. 

“I’ll teach you not to fear that. I’ll teach you so many things.”

“Perhaps a private lesson?” She whispered in his ear, before giving the soft lobe a playful nip.

“My room has a beautiful view of the ocean. Say the word and I’ll take you there.”

“Yes,” Rey said, then looked down at her feet. “Can I take my shoes off first? My feet will have blisters on their blisters if I have to be in them longer.”

“Time is already against us, let me offer another solution,” Kylo said before his arms swept her up bridal style.

Rey gave a small squeak, and tried to scowl, but his dark eyes stole her anger with the hunger that burned inside them. She rested her arms around his neck. “Alright, you win,” she grumbled.

“Not quite yet,” He whispered. 

Rey was too enraptured in the moment to notice the dancers still. She was far out of sight when the violins, having played their final tunes, started to crumble apart, only slightly faster than the musicians themselves. Rey’s crew had been in attendance, and they yawned, finding the need to retire. Lawyers, locals, and business partners shuffled like sheep to their waiting vehicles. Tomorrow they’d wake, and remember only that the party had been wonderful. 

Finn and Rose moved sightlessly passed phantom dancers whose plumes and feathers dulled and faded, becoming mist around their feet. A few mask lay scattered, their vacant eyes watching the last of the attendants leave with similar vacant eyes. No one startled when glass crashed as flutes slipped from hands shattering on the ballroom floor. 

A large grandfather clock in the servants hallway chimed the hour. 

Hux was exhausted. His master, unable to use magic, had tasked him with keeping an enchantment spell going while he sealed an oath with a mortal woman. Hux had learned long ago, never to question a direct order, and not one that was so fiercely given. His master might have killed him had the girl died. He’d barely managed to bring back the girl’s friends. A lucky break as their van had broken down. He had a nice black eye from the woman before he could enact a sleeping spell. 

When the chime stopped on four, Hux gave a worried sight. Two hours. Would his master have enough time? Selfish reasons only for if the master failed than all his work as his apprentice would be in vain. Worse yet, the promise of eternal life. He lay on his bed, knowing he’d not sleep, and waited to hear the next chime


End file.
